Round Table Discussion on Chernobyl Takes Place at the United Nations

27-04-2017

On April 26, 2017 the UN headquarters in New York hosted a special discussion on “Identifying and Mitigating Long-term Consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster: Building the Case for Continued International Cooperation” dedicated to the first International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day.

The round table event was organized jointly by the Permanent Mission of Belarus to the United Nations and the American non-governmental organisations “Project Chernobyl” and “Russian American Foundation”.

The Head of the Department of Information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Dmitry Mironchik, attented the round table as the key speaker. The Belarusian diplomat presented the proposals by Belarus on further international cooperation on Chernobyl under the UN auspices. Participants of the round table from a number of countries, including Russia and Kazakhstan, expressed their views in support of such cooperation.

High representatives of several UN agencies made interventions during the discussion. The Assistant UN Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, Lenni Montiel, drew attention to the peculiarities of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in the regions affected by technological accidents. Various aspects of cooperation on Chernobyl were highlighted in the statements by the Heads of New York offices of International Atomic Energy Agency and World Health Organization.

Experts of the non-governmental organization “Chernobyl Project” presented the results of medical research on innovative treatment methods of radiation-induced diseases. The Chair of the US Board of the Irish organisation Chernobyl Children International, Kathleen Ryan, presented the CCI projects to support children from the Chernobyl regions.

Participants emphasized that the round table organized upon the initiative of Belarus enriched the ongoing discussion in the UN on Chernobyl related issues, including Sustainable Development Agenda, Sendai Framework of Disaster Risk Reduction, health, environment cooperation.

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