EU Presidency Statement - Commemoration of the Chernobyl Catastrophe

United Nations General Assembly, Commemoration of the Chernobyl Catastrophe; Statement by Ambassador Gerhard Pfanzelter, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, on behalf of the European Union.

Mr. Secretary General, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues,

I have the honour to take the floor on behalf of the European Union. The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, as well as Norway and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this statement.

Twenty years have elapsed since the catastrophe that occurred on 26 April 1986. Most of us, in particular inhabitants of EU member states and our friends and partners outside the EU, still remember the days and weeks following the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station. While many countries and regions were relatively fortunate in overcoming the immediate radiological consequences of the catastrophe, parts of Ukraine, Belarus and the Russian Federation suffer heavily from the after-effects to this very day.

In particular from a humanitarian point of view this is indeed a terrible legacy that continues to affect the population, and especially children, in the affected regions. The havoc wrought on the population has given rise to serious health problems, as well as environmental, economic and social problems.

While scope and impact of the catastrophe was huge, domestic and foreign help and assistance have also been considerable. Several EU assistance programs have been providing help, as well as EU Member States on a bilateral basis. The EU has actively assisted the authorities in the region and has been a major contributor to projects in the area. The EU contribution runs to hundreds of millions of Euros, covering research, assessment and mitigation of the environmental contamination, evaluation of health effects and their treatment, social programmes and nuclear safety. The European Commission, through the CORE and TACIS Programmes, has also provided support to the affected populations and territories.

In addition to the initiatives of Governments, many dedicated voluntary organisations, NGOs and individuals in EU countries have worked tirelessly to help alleviate the human and social effects of the Chernobyl disaster. Children suffering from cancer have travelled to receive treatment and for vacations in EU countries. As an example from my country, I recall invitations to groups of children to spend their summer holidays in the mountains of the Tyrol.

While, as highlighted, the EU has been providing considerable aid so far, we cannot and do not ignore that the suffering and needs call for continued help. Donors are funding initiatives which address the long-term consequences of the accident with a view to achieving the sustainable development of the contaminated areas. It is in this respect that we can make good use of the current commemoration. As many of us might have noticed over the past few weeks, media coverage of the events themselves and the lasting effects of the catastrophe have been considerable. This helps both governments and private donors to continue on their path of solidarity with and assistance to the victims.

We should look today at the Chernobyl tragedy not only through the prism of international solidarity in fighting consequences of great human disaster. The Chernobyl catastrophe should also be a lesson to nations and the international community. We are facing not only new opportunities offered by science but also new challenges. We should be properly prepared to tackle them. The existence of an international system of early warning and information sharing is essential in this regard. We learned from many disasters that preparation of response plans in emergency situations at local and national levels, and proper training of rescue and medical teams at community level help save lives.

Finally, allow me also to commend the work done and assistance provided by the UN system, in particular OCHA, the UNDP and UNICEF.

Let me assure you that the EU remains committed and will continue to work with all concerned parties in favour of the victims.

Thank you.


* Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

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• European Community Statement - Special Commemorative Meeting in Observance of the 20th Anniversary of the Chernobyl Catastrophe (28/4/2006)