10 Mar 2014

Call for united Pacific voice against nuclear weapons

5:27 pm on 10 March 2014

The Pacific Council of Churches says it is disappointed that global superpowers did not address the lasting impacts of nuclear testing in the region at an international conference recently.

Delegates representing 146 states, the United Nations and NGOs met in Mexico last month for the the Second Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons.

The general secretary, Reverend Francois Pihaatae, says even Australia, which is part of the region and knows the horrors nuclear testing did to the Pacific, did not speak on its behalf.

Reverend Pihaatae says the region must speak with a united voice against nuclear weapons to bring an attitude change in larger nations.

"We are still calling for powers who have been doing their testing in the Pacific to really take into account the call of our people and assist in the healthcare and opposition. The life of some families in the Pacific are really impacted by the waste of nuclear."

Reverend Francois Pihaatae says Australia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States providing aid to the Pacific does not justify them ignoring the issue.