Statement on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC)

 

The first tribute is for the victims, for the public servants who rushed to their aid and for the intergovernmental and civil society humanitarian  organizations which, in tragic circumstances, demonstrated that the best response to both the ills and hopes of human kind is to demonstrate cooperation, to extend a hand in solidarity and aid and to act humanely irrespective of any other circumstances. Human beings are in fact relentlessly united by a common nature, a shared destiny and our joint defence of human dignity.

The Chernobyl tragedy shook national security and international complacency.
It showed that there is no zero risk in nuclear activity or in other scientific areas and reminded us once again that mutual trust is the bedrock of international security. It demonstrated that when global security comes under threat, national interests must be harmonized with collective interests. As a result, two key conventions on multilateral nuclear security could promptly and willingly be negotiated in the International Atomic Energy Agency: the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency.

This response confirmed the potential of multilateralism. However, one must ask why it took a tragedy of such proportions to develop fully rational and predictable mechanisms for preventive international cooperation. The lessons of Chernobyl do not apply only the sphere of nuclear security. The most important of all the lessons learned should be the capacity to anticipate all situations or phenomena that might arise during humanitarian catastrophes, from pandemics to natural disasters.

The main protagonists in the Chernobyl tragedy and its recovery were, and are, the affected people. They suffered, and they are the driving force behind reconstruction. A photo exhibit of their heroism and sacrifice is on display in these halls. We thank the organizers for this testimony to memory and hope.

The international community has also played and continues to play an extremely important role in assisting the Chernobyl victims in their recovery and in the reconstruction of devastated communities. We hear time and time again, and we do believe, that the humanitarian assistance dimension represents the best component of the United Nations system. We owe much to the specialized agencies, programmes, funds and other United Nations bodies. We are also greatly indebted to dozens of Member States and to the hundreds of non-governmental organizations and members of civil society that have contributed to this common task.

What is important, thirty years after this tragedy, is to establish in our conscience that humankind’s progress should not be marked by such painful circumstances. This disaster requires a multilateral response, for which the reform of the United Nations is indispensable. More than speeches, what we need is the political will to consolidate the effectiveness of our collective response in the face of global threats.

The best tribute we could pay to the victims of Chernobyl during the Assembly’s seventieth session is to adopt an in-depth, serious approach, one uncontaminated by mistrust or small-minded calculations, to proposals to strengthen the humanitarian capacity of the United Nations. Our regional group is committed to this goal.

 

April 26, 2016