The legacy of nuclear testing is a global issue with far-reaching human rights implications, a group of United Nations (UN) experts said Monday.
In a statement issued ahead of the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation due on March 5, the experts underlined that nuclear testing has not only affected people who have been exposed to nuclear radiation and waste in the past but will continue to negatively impact the human rights of current and future generations.
The experts, including UN special rapporteurs on toxics and human rights, and on the human right to safe drinking water, said that these tests are also a painful reminder of a colonial past, with an ongoing local impact on indigenous peoples.
March also marks the 70th anniversary of the Castle Bravo test on the island of Bikini Atoll, in the Marshall Islands (Northwestern Pacific).
Between 1946 and 1958, 67 known nuclear weapons were tested in the Marshall Islands by the United States.
According to a Human Rights Council resolution, toxic nuclear waste and nuclear radiation and contamination from decades ago continue to hurt the human rights of the people of the Marshall Islands.
"Remembrance plays a pivotal role in confronting the nuclear legacy. By remembering past human rights violations, we pay tribute to their past and present victims," the statement said.
International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation is a time for global reflection, calling for general and complete disarmament, according to the statement.
"Together, in the face of enduring nuclear legacies and ongoing conflicts, we must embrace disarmament and non-proliferation to ensure human rights for all and a sustainable future," the experts said in the statement.