The Assembly additionally known as for an immediate end to assaults in opposition to Ukraine’s vital power infrastructure, following weeks of escalation.
The decision entitled Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was adopted with 99 international locations in favour and 9 in opposition to (Belarus, Burundi, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria). Sixty Member States abstained.
Nuclear demand
The decision demanded that Russia “urgently withdraw” its army and different unauthorized personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant and “immediately return” the plant to full Ukrainian management – to guarantee its security and safety.
“[The Assembly] calls upon the Russian Federation, until it returns the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant…to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia with timely and full access to all areas at the plant that are important for nuclear safety and security in order to allow the Agency to report fully on the nuclear safety and security situation at the site,” the decision mentioned.
The draft decision was launched by Ukraine, and was sponsored greater than 50 different international locations, together with France, Germany and the United States.
Ukraine: Radiation is aware of no borders
Introducing the textual content, Ukrainian Ambassador and Permanent Representative Sergiy Kyslytsya mentioned that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant has been intentionally made an integral factor of Russia’s army technique and warned that the repercussions of an incident there could be catastrophic.
“Radiation knows no borders,” he acknowledged, including that radioactive fallout can journey nice distances and have an effect on areas far faraway from the positioning of the incident.
He mentioned the draft decision absolutely supported the mandate of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and reinforces the significance of the seven indispensable pillars of nuclear security and safety outlined by the IAEA Director-General.
He urged all nations to vote in favour the decision, stressing “we owe it to future generations to ensure that the horrors of nuclear disasters are not repeated.”
Russia: A pseudo nuclear bundle
Explaining his nation’s place earlier than the vote, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative, Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy mentioned the draft decision was dangerous, closely politicized and had nothing to do with nuclear security.
“The true goal is to use this pseudo nuclear package to sneak in political elements that have nothing to do with the stated problem, even a cursory glance at the text is enough to make this clear,” he mentioned.
He additionally mentioned that the sponsors of the draft decision resorted to non-inclusive and non-transparent strategies of labor, “flatly refusing” any amendments from a lot of delegations that sought to depoliticize it.
He accused Ukraine of being the true menace to nuclear security and safety and finishing up common and reckless assaults on Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant, its associated infrastructure and the close by metropolis the place plant staff and their households stay.
