|
PRESS RELEASE
Chernobyl After 19 Years:
Problems of Rehabilitation and Sustainable Development
Washington, D.C., April 22, 2005
Consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power
Plant that occurred on 26 April 1986 continue to adversely affect the social
and economic development of the Republic of Belarus. Presently, about 21
percent of the territory of Belarus is contaminated by radionuclides. The
total damage caused by the Chernobyl disaster equals 32 national budgets of
the year 1985, or 235 billion US dollars. Since 1991 more than 13 billion US
dollars have been spent by Belarus alone to implement rehabilitation
activities.
There are about 2800 settlements located in the contaminated
areas with the population of more than 1.5 million people including about
420 thousand children. These regions face a number of acute problems
associated with degradation of economic infrastructure, deficit of qualified
personnel, demographic crisis. Problems of safe residence at the
contaminated territories arise specifically for the most vulnerable
population groups: low income and large families, elderly people.
The most important problem in overcoming the Chernobyl
consequences is the integrated radiological and socio-economic
rehabilitation of the contaminated territories. The main objective of such
rehabilitation is real economic revival and sustainable development of the
contaminated regions. It requires new approaches, scientifically justified
decision-making, significant financial resources and, as a result, financial
and technical assistance of the international community.
The Government of the Republic of Belarus has been
continuously conducting systematic activities aimed at rehabilitating the
affected areas. The country implements the national programme on overcoming
the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. The main areas of this programme
are as follows: production of agricultural products with radionuclide
content within or considerably below the permission levels, rendering
medical assistance to the affected population, socio-psychological
rehabilitation, and research activities.
Due to the efforts undertaken at the national level, a number
of problems were solved. Resettlement of people has practically been
completed; a sound radiation monitoring system and necessary legislation are
in place. Special attention is given to social protection of the affected
population.
Approaches to rehabilitation are based upon the integral
character of the programmes on overcoming the Chernobyl consequences, giving
priority to economic revival of the territories, and active involvement of
the population into rehabilitation activities.
International cooperation forms an integral part of the
post-Chernobyl recovery efforts.
Belarus notes with satisfaction that Chernobyl issues are
adequately reflected in the agenda of the United Nations as well as of
relevant UN agencies.
In 2004, the coordinating functions of international
Chernobyl cooperation were transferred from the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to the United Nations Development
Programme. This event reflected the internationally supported strategic
principle proposed by Belarus: to move from urgent humanitarian aid to
sustainable development of the affected regions. Belarus considers UNDP
technical assistance capacity as a pre-requisite for establishing an
effective mechanism of the international Chernobyl cooperation, including
financial resource mobilization, to complement the national efforts.
An important role in Chernobyl-related cooperation is
assigned to the International Chernobyl Research and Information Network.
The main objectives of the ICRIN are to facilitate Chernobyl-related
research activities and promote information exchange among the population.
The first stage of the ICRIN activities – multi-stakeholder process – aimed
at examining and prioritising the information needs and requirements of the
affected population was completed in 2004. It revealed that top priorities
of the affected population are linked with social and economic issues and
are focused on improvement of living standards. Simultaneously, there are
great concerns regarding health problems and the need to obtain wider
information on disease prevention.
Belarus stresses the need for further intensification of the
Network’s activities and calls upon all parties involved to actively
participate in them.
International Scientific Chernobyl Forum will present the
findings of its work in 2005. The main Forum’s tasks are to collect and
analyse existing scientific data, and propose generic approaches to the
assessment of the Chernobyl consequences. At the final conference of the
Forum in Vienna in September 2005 the Forum’s conclusions and
recommendations will be presented.
Belarus was the first among the most affected countries to
develop and implement a “new generation” Chernobyl programme “Cooperation
for Rehabilitation” (CORE). The programme is aimed at addressing the issues
of economic development, health care, environment, radiological safety,
education and protection of cultural heritage in an integrated manner. The
CORE Declaration of Principles was signed by such international
organisations as UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, OSCE, a number of foreign states and
NGOs. The CORE programme has become one of the key mechanisms of
international cooperation to improve living standards of the affected
population through their active involvement into the implementation of local
projects and initiatives.
Belarus invites all interested parties to participate in the
implementation of the CORE programme. As it was mentioned by the Head of the
British charitable organisation “Chernobyl Children Life Line” Mr. Victor
Mizzi, “by taking part in the CORE Programme we provide a higher quality for
cooperation with Belarus”.
During the 58th session of the UN General assembly Belarus
put forward the initiative to host an international conference on the
occasion of the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster. The Conference under
a working title “Chernobyl After 20 Years: Problems of Rehabilitation and
Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions” will take place in Minsk on
19-21 April 2006.
The main objective of the Conference will be to analyse the
gained experience and to develop strategic recommendations for
rehabilitation of the Chernobyl affected territories, including
Chernobyl-related international cooperation, for the next decade.
Representatives of foreign states, international
organisations and NGOs are invited to take part in the Conference.
Belarus appeals to all foreign Governments, international and
non-governmental organisations to promote international cooperation aimed at
overcoming the Chernobyl consequences in the spirit of humanism and
solidarity. |
