“We are not ready to inherit an inheritance of complacency, and we cannot continue to live in the shadow of these weapons,” she told commemoration within the United Nations General Meeting room.
As a young representative of the Republic of Kiribati, Ms. Johnson is one of the many young people in the world whose ancestors were affected by the toxic consequences of nuclear tests.
After her speech to the general assembly where she urged the Member States to take action, Johnson spoke to UN News On the effects that the past has had on his family and community.
Devastating consequences
Between 1957 and 1962, the United States and the United Kingdom carried out nuclear weapons on the island of Kiritimati, which is now part of Kirbati, resulting in devastating consequences for the local population. The late grandfather of Mrs. Johnson, who lived on the island, was 14 years old at the start of the tests.
“They were all gathered in a small tennis court, and they only received a thin cover without real protection,” she said, describing the scene just before detonation.
“They used this to cover their eyes with bombing of bombing,” she added.
The Johnson Radiation Grandfather has been exposed to serious health implications, including hearing loss and cognitive decline. These deficiencies have followed him for the rest of his life and affect his descendants to date.
“My father’s older sisters were born prematurely and died shortly after,” she said. “And similar cases have also been found in other community families.”
Beyond the devastating impact on the inhabitants of Kiritima, the tests also caused lasting environmental damage. According to Ms. Johnson, a specific type of fish on the island is radioactive and when it is eaten, can make people “sick and nausea”.
Disarm
To respond to irreversible damage to the name of the young generation of Kiribati – and of the world – it has called on Member States to support an international trustee fund intended to offer necessary aid for victims of nuclear tests. The trust fund was proposed for the first time jointly by Kiribati and Kazakhstan in 2022.
Kiribati is a member of the Coordination Committee of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (Tpnw), a historic agreement to eliminate nuclear threat.
Articles 6 and 7 of the legally binding treaty stipulate that the signatory parties must provide assistance to persons affected by nuclear weapons under their jurisdiction or because of their actions.
“The life of many depend on it”
A survivor of fourth generation nuclear tests, the deeply personal experience of Ms. Johnson with the human, environmental and social impact of nuclear weapons only made it more determined to put pressure on the international community to rely on the treaty in force in 2021.
“For the good of all mothers, children and future generations, I urge everyone to join the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons because the life of many depends on this.”
Learn more about UN actions against nuclear tests and proliferation here.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
