UN General Assembly’s Second Committee approves Semipalatinsk Test Site resolution

ASTANA. KAZINFORM Under the sponsorship of 23 states of the world, the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly has approved by consensus the Resolution on international cooperation and coordination of efforts aimed at the rehabilitation of the population, the environmental restoration, and economic development of the Semipalatinsk region in Kazakhstan. It is planned that the resolution will be adopted by the UN General Assembly in December this year, the Kazakh MFA press service says.

The current document will have become the ninth UN General Assembly resolution on the Semipalatinsk region since 1997. The document recognizes the important role of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which devotes resources to the rehabilitation and development of Semipalatinsk region. The resolution also urges international community to render assistance to Kazakhstan in setting up and implementing special programs and projects on the treatment and service for the affected communities, and in the efforts to ensure economic growth and sustainable development in Semipalatinsk region.

The UN General Assembly resolutions on Semipalatinsk region are a clear evidence that the international community recognizes Kazakhstan's serious concern about the long-lasting effects of the nuclear tests on the lives and health of the people, especially children, and other vulnerable populations, the report says.