13 July 1990

28th Plenary Meeting

1990/50. International co-operation to address and mitigate the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

The Economic and Social Council,

Noting with profound concern the ongoing effects of the accident that occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in April 1986, which had serious national and international consequences owing to its unprecedented scale,

Noting the appeal to the Secretary-General, contained in the letter dated 26 April 1990 from the Permanent Representatives of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic to the United Nations, for the provision of all appropriate assistance in further addressing and mitigating the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant,

Taking account of the need for continuing comprehensive measures to address and mitigate the consequences of the accident, especially measures to safeguard the health of the population, including as appropriate resettling the population in uncontaminated areas, improving the environment in the contaminated area and preventing further possible transboundary radioactive effects,

Especially concerned about the state of health of the children who suffered and continue to suffer from the effects of increased radiation as well as from possible long-term effects of radiation,

Conscious of the need for continued international co-operation in addressing and ameliorating the consequences of the accident,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 44/224 of 22 December 1989, in which the General Assembly, inter alia, recognized the need to strengthen international co-operation in rendering assistance in cases of environmental emergencies,

1. Welcomes the efforts to address and mitigate the consequences of the accident undertaken so far by Governments, international and non-governmental organizations, business and scientific groups and individuals and the activities being carried out by organizations and bodies of the United Nations system and co-ordinated by the Inter-Agency Committee for the Response to Nuclear Accidents, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Economic Commission for Europe and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to provide appropriate support for the international assessment of the radiological consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, currently in progress, which has been organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency, with the participation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, the World Health Organization and the Commission of the European Communities;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to consider, facilitate and co-ordinate any further efforts that may be appropriate within the United Nations system, within the framework of the report on the international assessment to be published by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which will contain an evaluation of the measures taken in response to the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and recommendations for possible future actions in the regions affected by the accident, the recommendations and decisions of the Administrative Committee for Co-ordination on the matter and the existing co-ordination mechanism of the Inter-Agency Committee for the Response to Nuclear Accidents;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to prepare a comprehensive report, for submission to the General Assembly at its forty-fifth session, on the activities currently under way or planned within the United Nations system relating to the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and its consequences, particularly those relating to the agreement between the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the International Atomic Energy Agency to study the radiological consequences of the accident and the agreement between the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the World Health Organization on the efforts to mitigate the health consequences of the accident, with recommendations for further action within the United Nations system;

5. Makes an urgent appeal to all States Members of the United Nations or members of the specialized agencies and to organs, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system to provide all appropriate assistance, in full co-ordination and co-operation with ongoing or planned efforts by elements of that system, to mitigate the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.