The Japanese government has decided to release contaminated water containing tritium, a radioactive substance, stored in the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean. This decision has been strongly criticized both inside and outside the country, and we call for its immediate withdrawal.

There is no scientific opinion that guarantees the safety of the tritium contained in the contaminated water, and it is also clear that other radioactive substances are contained in the water, so the damage to human health and the environment caused by the release of contaminated water into the ocean is inevitable.

In Japan, fishermen in Fukushima Prefecture are strongly opposed to the release of contaminated water, and China and South Korea are also strongly opposed to the release of contaminated water into the sea. The oceans do not belong to Japan alone.

The contaminated water was caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, and the Japanese government and TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Co. Inc.) have refused to accept responsibility for the radiation damage, and many lawsuits are still being filed in Japan.　

Internationally, in the 1950s, under the slogan of “Nuclear Power for Peace” promoted by US President Eisenhower, the NPT treaty and the IAEA stated that nuclear power generation should be promoted to secure energy, and it is still legal under international law.

However, Fukushima has caused many radiation victims among its residents, and there are still many evacuees who cannot return to their homes. The method of removing the debris from the reactors and the final disposal of the nuclear waste has not yet been decided, and it will cause irreparable damage to the human body and the environment.

The IADL is determined to do its utmost to establish the right of individuals to enjoy a healthy environment at the United Nations from the standpoint of not causing radiation damage by nuclear power, and to work for international regulation so that not only nuclear weapons but also nuclear power generation can be made illegal under international law.