[CPEO-MEF] MUNITIONS: "UN General Assembly backs help for depleted uranium clean-up"

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

UN General Assembly backs help for depleted uranium clean-up

International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons
December 2, 2014

150 states have supported a UN General Assembly resolution  
recognising the need for international assistance for countries  
affected by depleted uranium contamination.

In a second vote on the UN’s fifth resolution [http:// 
www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/docs/222.pdf] on DU weapons at the  
General Assembly in New York, 150 states have supported a call for  
the international community to provide assistance to states affected  
by DU contamination. The resolution comes five months after Iraq  
called for help [http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/iraq-calls-for- 
treaty-ban-on-depleted-uranium] from the international community in  
dealing with the legacy of the 1991 and 2003 conflicts.

"We view this resolution as a welcome step towards establishing an  
obligation on DU clearance," said ICBUW Coordinator Doug Weir. "The  
need for remedial work to protect civilians has been identified by  
the World Health Organisation, UK Royal Society and UN Environment  
Programme - the ongoing refusal by the US and UK to take  
responsibility for their actions is placing communities at risk."

The vote was preceded by the news that US A10 gunships capable of  
firing DU had arrived in Kuwait to support operations against ISIS.  
The Pentagon had previously confirmed that the US would use DU in  
Iraq again 'if it needed to' - the controversial decision, made in  
spite of Iraq’s 2014 call for clean-up help and a global treaty ban  
on the weapons, further underscores the need for tougher action on  
the weapons.

...

For the entire article, see
http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/un-general-assembly-help-for- 
depleted-uranium

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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