We’ve covered debating… now it’s time for the next step! After deciding what the committee thinks about an issue, countries will team up, typically in their regional blocs, to write a working paper, and then a draft resolution. Join us this Wednesday 22 October in CAS 326 at 7PM as we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of resolutions by looking at a past resolution on the Long-Term Effects of Atomic Radiation.
COMMITTEE: General Assembly, 4th Committee
QUESTION OF: Long-Term Effects of Atomic Radiation
SUBMITTED BY: Andorra
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Defining atomic radiation as the emission of sub-atomic particles (alpha and beta particles) or electromagnetic waves (gamma rays) that cause ionization,
Recognizing that atomic radiation comes from both natural and human-made sources,
Noting that atomic radiation can be taken in through ingestion, absorption, injection, and inhalation,
Reminding nations that radiation leads to harmful effects, including DNA mutation, radiation poisoning, and both long- and short-term damage to flora and fauna,
Considering that atomic radiation can be separated into three categories, including radiation taken in on a day-to-day basis, radiation from an individual’s occupation, and radiation from sudden incidents,
Further recognizing the importance of effectively storing and monitoring radioactive waste to avoid negative effects over the long term,
Remembering however that this is not a proactive approach and is a doubtful solution to the problem such radioactive waste poses,
Identifying the temporary storage of radioactive waste to imply that the waste will eventually be moved to a disposal facility in the future and will not be stored any deeper than 10m below the Earth’s surface, as defined by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),
Describing the disposal of radioactive waste to be the permanent emplacement of said waste at a large depth below the surface,
Commending member states and relevant NGO’s (non-governmental organizations), and especially UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) for their work so far in studying atomic radiation,
1. Recommends that measures be taken to address radiation taken in during everyday life, including but not limited to:
a. The education of the public by national governments and UNESCO regarding:
i. The necessity of wearing sunscreen to protect from cosmic radiation,
ii. The importance of staying in well-ventilated shelters to avoid radioactive poisoning from radon
sources,
iii. Areas that are already or become highly potent in radioactive substances,
b. The production and distribution by national governments and UNESCO of visible warnings and precautions in print and on signs around areas that are highly potent in radioactive materials;
2. Encourages member states to fully consider the radiation resulting from an individual’s occupation by enforcing measures from the following not exhaustive list:
a. Requiring that employers adequately inform employees subject to radiation about the importance of following safety precautions,
b. Increasing and enforcing regulations that aim to protect nuclear plant employees, scientists, airline personnel, and other employees subject to radiation by:
i. Asking employers to provide sufficient personal protective equipment for their employees,
ii. Limiting the amount of time that employees spend in the vicinity of radiation,
iii. Sufficiently informing the public of the risks that can possibly result from certain types of
careers,
iv. Legislating regulations that would prevent a dramatic decrease in pay and benefits for employees in radioactive careers in the case of a decrease in working hours due to safety
precautions;
3. Stresses the importance of preparing for possible sudden radiation-emitting incidents in the future by:
a. Promoting nuclear non-proliferation,
b. Refraining from using or testing any already stored nuclear weapons,
c. Encouraging better safety controls and drills in the case of problems at a nuclear power plant or research facility,
d. Using new methods of radioactive decontamination, including but not limited to the use of:
i. Fall-out shelters,
ii. Potassium iodide tablets,
iii. Readily available medical help;
4. Approves a closer look at the importance of storing radioactive waste more effectively, by:
a. The use of active surveillance and maintenance to:
i. Resolve any problems related to the waste that might occur,
ii. Prevent any inadvertent or deliberate intrusion to the waste storage area,
b. Calling on future generations to continue the vigilance of this surveillance and maintenance,
c. Placing temporarily stored waste in a location no greater than ten feet below the Earth’s surface to allow for the facilitated recognition of related problems,
d. Transferring the waste to and from the storage facility safely by:
i. Avoiding long periods of storage before moving the waste,
ii. Endeavouring to store the radioactive waste in as non-degradable and as indestructible a package as possible,
iii. Adequately protecting the employees or workers who perform the transfer and/or handling of the waste,
e. Considering the geological disposal of radioactive waste to prevent the necessity of long-term surveillance and maintenance,
f. Asking member states to encourage those benefiting currently from radioactive materials to make plans for the funding of these materials’ future storage and disposal as radioactive waste,
g. Conscientiously recording and passing on any information pertaining to the storage of this
radioactive waste for the benefit of future generations,
h. Encouraging the IAEA to continue its important role in verifying that members of the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) protect nuclear materials under their jurisdiction, by:
i. Making sure that radioactive materials and waste are not intercepted for unauthorized or potentially harmful uses,
ii. Making certain that radioactive materials and waste do not disappear into unknown hands or across borders without authorization;
5. Emphasizes the importance of a safer, more practical, and more sustainable approach to the disposal of radioactive waste, by:
a. Storing radioactive waste for a sufficient period of time (as defined by the IAEA) before its
geological disposal to allow for a decrease in its radiation and heat generation,
b. Gradually developing the disposal facility to allow future generations to come to different decisions
regarding the waste,
c. Disposing of waste far below the Earth’s surface to protect the waste from nearly all security
threats,
d. Conscientiously recording any data relevant to the disposal of this waste, especially regarding
information potentially needed by future generations,
e. Continuing to safeguard radioactive waste even after the geological repositories have been closed
and sealed off,
f. Adhering to the encouragement expressed in clause 4(h) with regards to recording and
safeguarding data pertaining to and the disposal of radioactive waste;
6. Expects member states to adhere to the suggestions and recommendations published by the IAEA in “The Long Term Storage of Radioactive Waste: Safety and Sustainability” in relation to the temporary storage and geological disposal of radioactive waste;
7. Supports member states and relevant NGOs in any efforts to medically help persons subject to radiation to prevent large-scale problems in the long term;
8. Promotes the reliance on UNSCEAR for regular updates on the global levels and effects of ionizing radiation;
9. Asks member nations whose jurisdictions contain radioactive material to begin legalizing some of these measures by January 2012;
10. Suggests that this question be fully reconsidered on the agenda of the fourth committee every ten years.
