Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and with the number of nuclear facilities set to increase substantially in coming years, vulnerability will only increase.
High standards of preparedness and response must be part of the global strategy for sustainable development, he noted.
21 April 2011: On the occasion of the “25 Years after the Chernobyl Catastrophe: Safety for the Future” Conference, in Kiev, Ukraine, on 2o April 2011, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke on the role of the international community in ensuring that nuclear power is safe and sustainable.
He underscored that the UN Action Plan on Chernobyl to 2016 reflects a UN-wide commitment to address Chernobyl’s recovery through the Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions, as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly. Noting that nuclear accidents respect no borders, Ban said, “We owe it to our citizens and the world to practice the highest standards of emergency preparedness and response.… These standards must be an integral part of the international community’s global strategy for sustainable development.”
Ban further highlighted that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and with the number of nuclear facilities set to increase substantially in coming years, “our vulnerability will only grow.”
On 21 April 2011, Ban addressed the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University in Kiev, discussing Ukraine’s leading role in issues of nuclear safety after Chernobyl, regional cooperation and renewable energy. [Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Statement at the Conference “25 Years after the Chernobyl Catastrophe: Safety for the Future”] [Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Address to the Kiev Institute of International Relations]