UN First Committee Passes Depleted Uranium Resolution in Landslide Vote

[Guest guest]

there's more background at: http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/a/144.html021107FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEUN First Committee Passes Depleted Uranium Resolution in Landslide Vote Late last night the UN First Committee passed, by an overwhelmingmajority, a resolution highlighting concerns over the military use ofuranium.The resolution entitled 'Effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium'1 was passed by 122 votes tosix at the UN First Committee in New York; with 35 abstentions. Theresolution urges UN member states to

re-examine the health hazardsposed by the use of uranium weapons.The resolution was drafted by the Movement of Non Aligned States andsubmitted by Indonesia. It requests that states and internationalbodies submit a report on DU to the UN General Assembly during next year's session; depleted uranium weapons will also feature on theAssembly's agenda. A second vote confirming the resolution will takeplace early next year."This is a good result for our campaign," said ICBUW Coordinator Doug Weir. "States around the world are no longer content to acceptthe claims by the users of these weapon systems that exposure touranium dust is not linked to ill health. The last few years haveseen great advances in our

understanding of the health hazards posed by depleted uranium and it's high time that the internationalstandards caught up with this research."The vote comes after a year of intense campaigning by ICBUW and itsmember organisations, and follows calls by the European Parliament for a ban.2 In March this year, Belgium became the first country inthe world to introduce a domestic ban on the use of uranium in allconventional weapon systems.3 The decision by Brussels to take thisstep sent a clear message to all NATO members and users of uranium weapons that the continued use of chemically toxic and radioactiveweapon systems is incompatible with international humanitarian legalstandards.How the voting went:For: 122 countries (including Japan) Against: 6 countries (US, UK, France, Netherlands, Czech Republic,Israel)Abstentions: 35 countriesFull text (select your language of choice):http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/C.1/62/L.18/rev.1 EndsNotes for editors1. 'Effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containingdepleted uranium' A/C.1/62/L.18/Rev.1 2. European Parliament Makes Fourth Call for DU Ban: http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/a/89.html3. Belgium bans depleted uranium weapons and armour: http:// www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/a/118.htmlContactsFor interviews please contact ICBUW Coordinator Doug Weir on +44 (0)161 2738293ICBUWThe International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons is a globalcoalition of 91 members in 25 countries. It campaigns for a ban

onthe use, transport, manufacture, sale and export of all conventionalweapon systems containing uranium. It also seeks compensation for communities affected by the use of uranium weapons and theenvironmental remediation of such sites. For more information on thecampaign, please visit: www.bandepleteduranium.org What is depleted uranium and how is it used in weapons?Depleted Uranium (DU) is nuclear waste. Uranium naturally occurs asthree different isotopes U234, U235 and U238. Isotopes are atoms ofthe same element that have different numbers of neutrons but the same number of protons. This means that they behave in the same waychemically, but different isotopes release different amounts andtypes of radiation.The radioactive properties of DU, which is

chiefly uranium 238, differ from those of uranium 235. Unlike U238, U235 is fissionable.This means that it is so unstable that firing neutrons at it canproduce a self-sustaining series of nuclear reactions, releasing hugeamounts of energy. This is the basis of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. However, before U235 is used, it needs to be concentrated asit only makes up a small proportion of naturally occurring uranium,around 0.7%. U238 makes up more than 99% of natural uranium and isless radioactive. After natural uranium has had most of the U235 removed from it, it is called 'depleted uranium' i.e. uraniumdepleted in the isotope U235. Each kilo of reactor ready enricheduranium produced leaves you with 7kg of DU.Depleted Uranium itself is a chemically toxic and radioactive compound, which is used in armour piercing munitions because of itsvery high density. It is 1.7 times denser than lead, giving DUweapons

increased range and penetrative power. They belong to a classof weapons called kinetic energy penetrators. The part of the weapon that is made of DU is called a penetrator: this is a long dartweighing more than four kilograms in the largest examples: it isneither a tip nor a coating. The penetrator is usually an alloy of DUand a small amount of another metal such as titanium and molybdenum. These give it extra strength and resistance to corrosion.Who owns DU weapons and who has used them?At least 18 countries are thought to have weapon systems with DU intheir arsenals. These include: UK, US, France, Russia, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan,Pakistan, Oman, Thailand, China, India and Taiwan. Many of them weresold DU ammunition by the US while others, including France, Russia,Pakistan and India are thought to have developed it independently. Governments have often initially denied using DU because of publichealth concerns. Estimates of DU munitions expended run to 280 tonnesin the Gulf War of 1991 by US and UK forces; and 14 tonnes in theBalkans in the latter half of the 1990s by NATO. There was further large-scale use in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 but there is littledata on this.It is suspected that the US also used DU in Afghanistan in 2001,although both the US and UK governments have denied using it there. Leaked US transport documents suggest that US forces in Afghanistanhad DU weapons, and the continued use of A10 'Tankbuster' aircraftin the country indicates that DU continues to be used.Health Hazards of

Uranium Weapons There are three chief hazards associated with DU: its chemicaltoxicity, radioactivity and the effects of fine metal particles, orfumes, on the body. Both of these hazardous properties areexacerbated by the fact that DU is pyrophoric. A pyrophoric material is one that oxidizes rapidly and can burst into flame at lowtemperatures in the proximity of oxygen. As the projectile hits ahard target, the DU burns at temperatures of between 3000°C and 6000°C. As it oxidizes, it turns into a fine dust, which can be blown for long distances from the place of the impact; this dust can then beinhaled by soldiers and civilians alike.We do not as yet understand the full impact that fine particles of DUoxide may have on the human body. We do not have an accurate internal dose assessment; we have little information on the precisedistribution and dynamics of internalised particles, and we are stilllacking a

complete understanding of the mechanisms by which damage tocells and organs occurs. Despite this, there is mounting scientific evidence from both animal, and in vitro studies that suggestdeleterious effects on human health from inhaled DU particles.Animal and cellular studies have shown clear evidence of thecarcinogenic (transforming healthy cells into cancerous ones), neurotoxic and immuno-toxic effects of DU (the immune system defendsthe body from Infections and even some types of cancerous cells); aswell as its ability to damage the reproductive system and foetus(which may cause birth defects). Some data also suggests that uranium can directly damage the DNA and enzyme proteins in living cells. Manyscientific and medical papers on the chemical and radiologicaltoxicities of uranium have been published.Assessing the precise mechanisms by which DU may damage the human body Is made more difficult because both

Its chemical toxicity andradioactivity can cause similar effects, such as the generation offree radicals within the body.>