Akhir 20, 1432 H/March 25, 2011, SPA -- International organizations on nuclear disarmament and safeguards agreed Friday to review the safety regime of nuclear reactors, drawing on lessons from Japan's nuclear disaster, dpa quoted UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as saying. Ban held a high-level discussion with heads of major organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Meteorological Organization, World Health Organization and International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. He called for a reassessment of the emergency response to situations similar to that of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was severely damaged and released radiation after being struck by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11. "I encourage states to consider lessons learned and adopt appropriate measures in an innovative way to strengthen the nuclear safety regime," Ban said. He called for the highest standards to protect health, food supply and the environment in case of a nuclear reactor explosion or meltdown. The Vienna-based IAEA holds a central role in further developing universal standards on nuclear safety, Ban said. IAEA is to have a review session in April related to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. "On behalf of international organizations involved in addressing this situation, I wish to reassure the people and government of Japan that we stand with them as they work to overcome this disaster and recover from the devastating earthquake and tsunami," Ban said.
