UN expert urges Japan to heed people's voices in the aftermath of the nuclear disaster
Listen /
Safety inspector at Fukushima plant in Japan
Japan has been urged to step up its monitoring of the effects of nuclear radiation on people's health.
The call comes as the UN expert on the right to health, Anand Grover wrapped up an 11-day mission to the country on Thursday, during which he assessed the links between the right to health of the affected people and the actions taken in the aftermath of the worst nuclear accident in the country.
While commending the government for undertaking a health management survey in Fukushima, Mr. Grover urged it to expand the survey to all radiation-affected zones and carry out more comprehensive studies that would examine and monitor internal radiation exposure of people in the long-term.
He expressed what he described as "troubling concerns" that affected residents "have had no say in decisions that affect them".
The Special Rapporteur stressed that the right to health framework requires that "the affected people in Japan need to be part of the decision-making process as well as of the implementation, monitoring and accountability procedures".
Mr. Grover, who was charged by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor the enjoyment of the right to health, also highlighted that the participation of the affected community can produce benefits such as building confidence in the Government, facilitating the implementation of those decisions, and improving monitoring and accountability.
Donn Bobb, United Nations
Duration: 1’12″
