At its 63rd session last week, the UN Human Rights Council adopted the resolution “Technical assistance and capacity-building to address the human rights implications of the nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands” by consensus.
The resolution was tabled by the Republic of the Marshall Islands on behalf of a core group of Pacific Island States, comprising Fiji, Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia, Naoero (Nauru), Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu. Its adoption without a vote reflects the Council’s broad, cross-regional support for addressing the continuing human rights consequences of nuclear testing in the RMI.
In her statement as the country concerned, Ambassador Doreen deBrum said: “We have lost so many loved ones to cancer and sickness. Our people have suffered enough. We have endured these struggles for far too long. It has been 80 years. We need a better future for our people.”
With this resolution, the Council renews its commitment to stand with the Marshallese people, who continue to live with the consequences of nuclear testing eight decades on, said the RMI Embassy in Geneva in a release.
No country should have to carry the weight of this legacy alone. Continued support from the United Nations is vital to protect the health, land and environment on which the Marshallese people depend, the release said.
The RMI Embassy extended its appreciation to the members of the core group, to all States that supported the resolution, and to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for its continued assistance. The RMI and its Mission in Geneva will continue to work with all partners to support these processes to promote, protect, and uphold human rights in the RMI, the Pacific, and all across the world, the embassy said.