Thank you, Mr. Chair for giving me the floor.
Bangladesh appreciates report of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation on its sixty-ninth session.
We commend the effective contribution of the Committee in guiding to take appropriate measures to mitigate the effects of exposure to ionizing radiation particularly on human health and the environment. We also commend the unforeseen additional work carried out by the Committee such as assessment of adverse health effects due to accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station.
In Bangladesh, we are constructing the first nuclear power plant in Rooppur with a view to generating safe, environment friendly and economically viable electricity, following the highest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards, to support our development efforts. I take this opportunity to inform that with the support of IAEA we have successfully been implementing our nuclear energy programme, including in establishing a regulatory framework and developing a radioactive waste-management system.
In 2018, Bangladesh signed a Country Programme Framework for 2018-2023 with the IAEA with focus on food, agriculture, water, soil and environment, human health, nuclear power, nuclear and radiation safety and security, nuclear knowledge development and industrial applications. Under this framework, we have undertaken projects on improving food security, developing stress tolerant crop variety and cancer management. These projects have proved to be beneficial to the lives and livelihood of our people.
Mr. Chair,
Cooperation, coherence and synergy among the United Nations system to efficiently deal with the important agenda of the effects of atomic radiation is critical for mandate delivery and avoid duplication. In this regard, we welcome the memorandum of understanding signed with IAEA and framework of cooperation with World Health Organization (WHO) by the Scientific Committee.
We also welcome the new approach for outreach activities, including additional social media content to promote awareness of radiation effects as proposed by the Scientific Committee in its sixty-ninth session. Creating awareness and sharing best practices are critical for having an effective preventative approach. We are looking forward to a robust outreach strategy of the Committee after the end of current one in 2024.
We acknowledge the combined strategy presented by the ad hoc working group on sources and exposure to support the Committee’s work on improving data collection, analysis and dissemination of data on radiation exposure at the sixty-ninth session of the Committee. We believe, the presented strategy will guide all stakeholders to take useful and appropriate decisions.
Mr. Chair,
The Committee has started its preparation of its future programme of work for the period 2025–2029. In this connection, we echo the request of the Committee to strengthen support for its work and emphasise on the need for increased voluntary contribution to the Trust Fund established by the Executive Director.
Before concluding, I reiterate Bangladesh’s support to the UN Scientific Committee on the effects of Atomic Radiation. We are also pleased to co-sponsor the draft resolution under this agenda item this year and thank Canada for facilitating the work on the resolution.
I thank you.