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Thanks to Doug for posting the first part of the UN DU review (July 2008) on his website. He also mentioned an update.
Other researchers may wish to access the original reports and further updates directly from the UN website.
The reports are from the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs collated from a survey of member states for the UN's 63rd General Assembly. These and other disarmament reports are available at http://disarmament.un.org
Other researchers may wish to access the original reports and further updates directly from the UN website.
The reports are from the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs collated from a survey of member states for the UN's 63rd General Assembly. These and other disarmament reports are available at http://disarmament.un.org
The first document - United Nations A/63/170 is:
Effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium.
Report of the Secretary-General. 24 July 2008 for the 63rd General Assembly. Online at:
Report of the Secretary-General. 24 July 2008 for the 63rd General Assembly. Online at:
This includes WHO and IAEA comments.
The second document is an Addendum to this review A/63/170/Add.1A. of 15th September 2008 is at:
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/63/170/Add.1 and choose language.
This includes UNEP's comments.
This includes UNEP's comments.
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Notes of the 2nd meeting of the First Committee (Disarmament etc) on 6th October 2008
(General Assembly GA/DIS/3361) are available at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/gadis3361.doc.htm
Notes of the 2nd meeting of the First Committee (Disarmament etc) on 6th October 2008
(General Assembly GA/DIS/3361) are available at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/gadis3361.doc.htm
HUMANKIND STILL ‘CONFRONTS SELF-EXTINCTION ARISING FROM MASSIVE, COMPETITIVE
BUILD-UP OF MOST DESTRUCTION WEAPONS EVER PRODUCED’, FIRST COMMITTEE TOLD
This report included these comments regarding DU weapons:
" A report on effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium (document A/63/170) attaches the views of Member States and relevant international organizations. Replies were received by Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Cuba, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mali, Netherlands, Qatar, Serbia and Spain. IAEA and the World Health Organization (WHO) also replied.
WHO notes that, for the general population, neither civilian nor military use of depleted uranium is likely to produce radiation doses significantly above normal background levels. While to date there is no consistent evidence of adverse effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium on vital human body organs, after military conflicts, levels of depleted uranium concentration in soil and air might be detected in affected areas even after a few years. The area contaminated with armour, tanks, shrapnel, and so forth, should be monitored. Particular emphasis should be placed on the protection of children, and risk communication campaigns may be needed in affected areas.
IAEA says its test results generally indicate that depleted uranium residues dispersed in the environment do not pose a radiological hazard to the population of the affected regions. Complete depleted uranium ammunition or fragments can still be found at some locations where depleted uranium weapons were used during past wars. Prolonged skin contact with these depleted uranium residues is the only possible exposure pathway that could result in exposures of radiological significance. As long as access to the areas where these fragments exist remains restricted, the likelihood that members of the public could come into contact with these residues is low. Responding together with WHO and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to the request of Member States to assess the post-conflict radiological risk to the public and the environment from the contamination of territories with depleted uranium residues, IAEA generally concludes that the post-conflict radiological risk is not significant and can be controlled with simple countermeasures conducted by national authorities. "
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" A report on effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium (document A/63/170) attaches the views of Member States and relevant international organizations. Replies were received by Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Cuba, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mali, Netherlands, Qatar, Serbia and Spain. IAEA and the World Health Organization (WHO) also replied.
WHO notes that, for the general population, neither civilian nor military use of depleted uranium is likely to produce radiation doses significantly above normal background levels. While to date there is no consistent evidence of adverse effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium on vital human body organs, after military conflicts, levels of depleted uranium concentration in soil and air might be detected in affected areas even after a few years. The area contaminated with armour, tanks, shrapnel, and so forth, should be monitored. Particular emphasis should be placed on the protection of children, and risk communication campaigns may be needed in affected areas.
IAEA says its test results generally indicate that depleted uranium residues dispersed in the environment do not pose a radiological hazard to the population of the affected regions. Complete depleted uranium ammunition or fragments can still be found at some locations where depleted uranium weapons were used during past wars. Prolonged skin contact with these depleted uranium residues is the only possible exposure pathway that could result in exposures of radiological significance. As long as access to the areas where these fragments exist remains restricted, the likelihood that members of the public could come into contact with these residues is low. Responding together with WHO and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to the request of Member States to assess the post-conflict radiological risk to the public and the environment from the contamination of territories with depleted uranium residues, IAEA generally concludes that the post-conflict radiological risk is not significant and can be controlled with simple countermeasures conducted by national authorities. "
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Note that the Resolution in 2007 that set up this Inquiry and most of the subsequent reports are specifically restricted to "Depleted" Uranium.
Dai Williams
Surrey, UK
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