Paris, 26 April 2000 {No.2000-39} - On the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura called for continued international co-operation to help Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine work to mitigate the effects of the technological disaster.

Mr Matsuura declared: "Fourteen years have elapsed since the terrible accident at Chernobyl. It is no longer news and there is a great temptation to forget this tragedy which is no longer in the headlines. But [forgetting] would be a mistake because the effects of the disaster are still being felt by millions of people."

The Director-General added: "The economic, social, health and environmental effects of Chernobyl are far from over and international co-operation must continue. It is needed to help the communities that have been hit by this technological disaster and its consequences and also so as to learn the lessons of this tragic experience. International solidarity does not stop at the populations affected, or at soil decontamination. It must also undertake the collection and processing of scientific data so as to attenuate the impact of this accident, to prevent others and, in this way, ensure the safety of humankind. We must not forget the extraordinary nature of this disaster and its genetic, biological and economic consequences. It is truly a disaster for the populations affected."

After welcoming the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to shut down the Chernobyl power plant by the end of this year, Mr Matsuura added: "I invite governments, non-governmental organisation and the international community to step up their efforts to solve together all the problems posed by this disaster. More than ever before, the world is one: the security of each and every one depends on mutual assistance by all, on shared trust and knowledge-sharing."

UNESCO was one of the first organisations of the United Nations system to respond to the appeal launched by the States directly hit by the disaster. On December 8, 1999, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution calling for a reinforcement of efforts to study and mitigate the effects of the Chernobyl disaster. UNESCO will pursue its activities linked to disaster prevention.