The UN General Assembly has called for the peaceful use of nuclear weapons as the world marks the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. At a special commemorative meeting yesterday, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said the scale of Chernobyl underlined that nuclear technology, even when used peacefully, is fundamentally different from other technologies.
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant saw one of the worst nuclear accidents in history on April 26, 1986. On that day, a series of explosions ripped through the No. 4 reactor, spreading radioactive contamination across Ukraine, Belarus and other parts of Europe.
Over 8 million people were exposed to radiation, thousands died, and children developed leukaemia and other illnesses, Baerbock said, adding that many required long-term care that shaped the rest of their lives.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described it as the most significant nuclear accident in history. He said that Chernobyl was not only a national tragedy, but a lesson that the consequences of nuclear accidents are shared by the international community.
Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dmitry Chumakov said that any technologies, even the best-intentioned ones, without proper prudence can become a source of threat.
