Statement by Clare Gatehouse First Secretary Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations to the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee (Fourth Committee) on the Effects of Atomic Radiation
29 October 2007
(As delivered)
Mr Chairman
Australia, in its capacity as Chair of the fifty-fifth session of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) has the honour of introducing a draft resolution that endorses UNSCEAR's mandate and encourages its activities.
Since its establishment by the General Assembly in 1955 UNSCEAR has served the vital function of providing authoritative scientific review of the sources and effects of ionizing radiation. Its mandate in the United Nations system was to assess and report levels and effects of exposure to radiation, and the role of the committee has been adapted to address new challenges arising from radiation exposure and the effects on humans and on non-human biota.
As a result, governments and organisations throughout the world now rely on the Committee's estimates as the scientific basis for evaluating radiation risk, establishing radiation protection and safety standards and regulating radiation sources. Within the United Nations System, these estimates are used by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in discharging its statutory functions of establishing health standards with respect to radiation and providing for their application. This has recently been reaffirmed by the IAEA’s General Conference in its resolution (GC(51)/RES/11). In addition, the information provided by the Committee assists the General Assembly in making recommendations, in particular with respect to international cooperation in the field of health.
In this regard, I would like to express my appreciation to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the European Commission, the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements, the International Organization for Standardization and the International Union of Radioecology for their participation in the fifty-fifth session of the Scientific Committee as observers.
Australia welcomes the development of a long term strategic plan for the future program of work of the Committee at the 56th session in 2008. The relevance of the Committee's work today and the need to disseminate its findings quickly is important in the context of today's energy debate. The work of the committee on the effects of ionizing radiations on people and ecosystems is vital, particularly the assessment of potential harm from chronic low-level exposures among large populations is an issue of great concern when assessing future energy options.
Australia is pleased that UNEP has established a Trust Fund for UNSCEAR and has contributed to this fund. This should not be seen as an alternative to providing adequate resources for the Secretariat to enable the Committee to fulfil its mandate. The Secretariat should be resourced so the Committee can not only expedite its work programs but also disseminate its findings quickly and widely. Recently member states have been frustrated by the fact that their significant contributions at sessions of the Committee have not resulted in the timely publication of the Committee's findings. Australia appreciates the benefits of the Committee holding on an exceptional basis a seven-day session in 2008. It recognizes the need to finalize assessments that would otherwise become out-of-date, and to thoroughly discuss the Committee’s strategic plan and future programme of work, which should ultimately lead to more effective and efficient operations.
Responding to the General Assembly Resolution 61/109 six member states expressed their desire to join the Committee in February 2007. While the interest in UNSCEAR's affairs is welcome the extra burden on an already overstretched Secretariat cannot be overstated. Financial, operational and scientific issues will need to be resolved before it can be decided how new members can effectively and efficiently contribute to the work of the Committee.
Mr Chairman
This year's draft resolution requests the Scientific Committee to continue to review the important issues in the field of ionizing radiation. It also requests the United Nations Environment Programme to continue providing support for the effective conduct of the work of the Scientific Committee, and appeals to the Secretary General to take appropriate administrative measures, for example redeployment of a post from elsewhere within the Secretariat, so that the Scientific Committee can be adequately serviced in order to reliably discharge its responsibilities and mandate.
Mr Chairman
It is our delegation's sincere hope that the draft resolution will be adopted by consensus, as has been the case in previous years. I would like to extend my appreciation for the support of the current, to my knowledge, 26 co-sponsors of the draft resolution - Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and the UK. Other delegations are also welcome to become co-sponsors of the resolution prior to its adoption.
Thank you very much.