Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brazil)
17 January 1997

JOINT DECLARATION OF BRAZIL,
ARGENTINA, CHILE AND URUGUAY
ABOUT RADIOACTIVE WASTE TRANSPORT

The governments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay:

In the context of the excellent relationship that the above governments maintain with the governments of Japan, France and United Kingdom and facing the new radioactive waste transport from European ports with destination to Japan, they wish to reiterate their preoccupation with the risks that --- due to the intrinsic danger of the cargo --- this transport represents to the health of the population and to the marine environment of the region in route;

They would also like to express their preoccupation that future shipments would also use the route of Cape Horn, which presents risks to navigation, due to the physical and meteorological characteristics of the region and to the vulnerability of the Antarctic Sub Antarctic ecosystems. In this sense, they would remind us that International Law and the respective national laws give the coastal states jurisdiction to protect and to preserve the marine environment in their respective Economic Exclusive Zones, aiming to reduce and control the contamination of these ecosystems;

They would also call attention to the inconvenience that this type of shipment be repeated in the future, with a progressive increase in the amount or dangerousness of the cargoes;

DECLARE:

1-Their serious concern with the risks associated with the transit of radioactive waste shipments in the region.

2-Their intention to adopt, in waters under their jurisdiction, the measures recognized in the international laws in defence of the health of their populations and marine environment.

3-The need to reinforce, in international bodies, the regulation of transport of nuclear waste and spent nuclear fuel, that must contemplate: warranty about no contamination of marine environment, information about the routes, the obligation to inform coastal countries about the emergency plans in case of accidents, the commitment to rescue the radioactive waste in case of accidents with the ship and payment of reimbursements in case of injuries and damages.

4-Express support to the works of revision and negotiation of the Conventions of Liability and Safe Management of Nuclear Waste and Safety of Spent Nuclear Fuel, that must be legally binding.

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