Central Asia stands for a secure future
Kyrgyzstan has taken the initiative to adopt a new UN resolution on uranium tailings. Turkmenistan is also taking part in the development of the future document. Other co-authors of the document are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Canada, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, USA, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine and Japan. Uranium tailings are a waste byproduct (tailings) of uranium mining that cannot be used for economic reasons and kept in storages. In Central Asia, there are only 7 such facilities – three in Kyrgyzstan, three in Tajikistan and one in Uzbekistan. The fact that all these storage facilities are located in close proximity to rivers and water sources is a subject of particular concern. Radionucleids, having the ability to migrate through water channels, pollute the vegetation, the water itself. Eventually, uranium enters the human body, causing serious diseases. “So, over the past five years, a lot of work has been done to improve the situation in this area. In this regard, we believe in raising awareness among the international community on significant progress in this matter and to adopt a new relevant General Assembly resolution in September 2018,” first Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Kubatbek Boronov said recently, calling on the international community to support Central Asia in addressing the problem of the uranium heritage. In December 2013, the UN adopted a resolution "On the role of the international community in preventing radiation threat in Central Asia", co-authored by Turkmenistan as well. The document notes the importance of regional cooperation in the management of uranium and other radioactive and toxic waste storage facilities, tailings reclamation, development and implementation of special projects to improve the process of monitoring their safety level, etc.
