The United Nations Human Rights Council examines the consequences of the nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands
The study was conducted by the United Nations human rights office, OHCHRrevealed that 67 nuclear tests conducted between 1946 and 1958 by the United States Government in the Marshall Islands displaced communities and contributed to the contamination of radioactive land and seas.
Nada Al-Nashif, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner, said: “The nuclear legacy leaves a shadow for generations and the High Commissioner’s report highlights that this legacy remains a living reality for the people Marshallese”. opening statement at the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the Issue in Geneva.
Cancer, miscarriage and ‘jellyfish’
Through workshops and consultations, OHCHR found that exposure to radiation from nuclear tests had caused “an increase in cancer, painful memories of miscarriages, stillbirths and what some Marshallese call ‘jellyfish’ – babies born with translucent skin and no bones. .”
OHCHR has seen widespread displacement of indigenous Marshallese people, contributing to their disconnection from cultural traditions, including burial practices.
“But the human rights impact of the nuclear legacy is not limited to what is known and can be easily quantified,” Ms. Al-Nashif said. “They are also rooted in immeasurable pain and truths that are still unknown.”
The acting deputy director said information gaps related to testing “were the most common issue raised in OHCHR consultations with the Marshallese.”
She noted that the human rights office stands ready to assist the National Nuclear Commission (NNC) of the Marshall Islands in addressing the “long-term consequences” of those affected including “displacement, health crisis health and eroding livelihoods”.
OHCHR Recommendations
To address the nuclear legacy, the report recommends that the Marshall Islands, the United States Government, the United Nations, and others consider establishing authentication and non-repetition mechanisms, as well as their adoption and support. supporting a justice-based approach to transformation.
“The lessons of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands are lessons for the entire world, as there are other regions, communities and countries that have been and continue to be affected by nuclear testing,” Ms. Al-Nashif said. core”.
“When it comes to human rights and environmental crises, we must stand together to stop them, while promoting accountability, truth and reparations for them; protecting and empowering those most at risk from their impacts,” she continued.
Testimony of pain
Ariana Tibon-Kilma, president of the NNC of the Marshall Islands, gave personal testimony to the human rights panel about the extreme pain and suffering her community faced during and after the nuclear tests .
She describes how the nuclear test took place against the wishes of the Marshallese people and how just hours after the explosion, people scratched their skin and mothers witnessed “hair falling to the ground and blisters devour their bodies overnight.”
She explained how those displaced from the islands were then subjected to a medical experimentation program that lasted more than 40 years, including the removal of healthy teeth, bone marrow and other body parts, “ for storage in the laboratory for research purposes”.
To remedy this and many other disastrous consequences of nuclear testing on the Marshall Islands, the United Nations deputy human rights chief emphasized that “uncovering the truth” and filling gaps in the record The reality of America’s program is key to justice, accountability, reparations, and reconciliation.
“As I watched my loved one endure unrelenting pain, I struggled with a profound sense of helplessness, the weight of their pain intertwined with my own,” Ms. Tibon-Kilm said. Ms. Tibon-Kilm said, adding “let us remember that the dignity of every individual, especially those in their most vulnerable moments, must be fiercely protected and upheld.”
She, along with other Marshallese and UN experts present in the dialogue, emphasized the OHCHR report’s recommendation to adopt a justice-based transitional approach to addressing the nuclear legacy.
