Small island nations call for nuclearfree Pacific

SUVA: Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) say the world does not need nuclear weapons.

Marking International Day Against Nuclear Explosions last weekend, the island nations agreed they had all suffered the effects of nuclear testing in the region.

Presenting a joint statement from 12 Pacific countries to the United Nations General Assembly, Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said more than 300 nuclear tests were carried out in the Pacific from 1946 to 1996 in the atmosphere, underground and underwater.

Communities living close to ground zero were relocated from their ancestral homes and restricted from using the ocean resources for their livelihoods, Frank Bainimarama told the online event.

Those affected also faced an increase in related health problems.

‘‘At the end of these nuclear tests, radioactive waste and machinery were either buried or dumped into the Pacific Ocean.

‘‘Today, we still do not know the full impact of these nuclear tests on our environment and communities,’’ said.

Pacific islanders considered themselves the custodians of the Pacific Ocean, he said.

‘‘The Pacific Ocean defines who we are; it serves as the foundation of our economies, our environment, and the wellbeing of our communities.’’

‘‘We have a vision that the blue Pacific Ocean will become an ocean of peace and prosperity for our people and the world.’’

Protecting the blue Pacific continent was of paramount importance to the islanders’ future, but it could only become an ocean of

Bainimarama peace if it was nuclearfree.

‘‘The world does not need nuclear weapons,’’ Bainimarama said.

‘‘The challenges of nuclear disarmament can only be resolved by a strengthened multilateral system that sets the conditions for transparency, confidencebuilding, and cooperation,’’ he said.

‘‘Today, we PSIDS say no to nuclear weapons and we reiterate our commitment to the elimination of nuclear weapons everywhere,’’ Bainimarama said.

‘‘We encourage member states to ratify the Comprehensive

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

‘‘It is morally right, and we owe it to ourselves and our future generations.’’

The Fijian leader presented a joint statement to the UN Assembly from the PSIDS members including the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The event was hosted by UN President Tijjani MuhammadBande from Nigeria.— RNZ

CREDIT: COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY ORGANISATION An atmospheric nuclear test conducted by the United States at Enewetak Atoll, in the Marshall Islands, on November 1, 1952.