Opinions & Interviews

“The UNDP will continue providing opportunities for exchanging experience and promote the transfer of knowledge,” Cihan Sultanoglu stressed.

“For a very long time the Chernobyl legacy was the history about victims and suffering. However, the situation was gradually changing. 30 years after the Chernobyl disaster successful community and other initiatives gave ground for hope, recovery and development. The UNDP will continue the coordination of development programs at the macro and national levels. Efforts will be focused on the needs of people living on the contaminated territories with the aim at building up the best future for all,” said Cihan Sultanoglu.

“30 years after Chernobyl we are in solidarity with the countries that suffered the worst from the accident. We need to decide on further ways of addressing the problems we are still facing. Over 10 years ago the UNDP initiated the transfer from humanitarian assistance to long-term economic and social development of the Chernobyl-affected territories. Today the main accent is on the creation of new jobs, support of small and medium-sized business, implementation of technologies,” said Cihan Sultanoglu.

Cihan Sultanoglu called upon international partners and donors to continue providing support to the Chernobyl-hit territories and communities.

The conference has been organized by the Belarusian government and the UN Development Program. The participants of the conference are taking stock of the UN Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development for Communities Affected by the 1986 Chernobyl Disaster and discussing new approaches to multilateral Chernobyl cooperation. The participants of the conference are expected to adopt a Declaration that will make a basis for the development of a new stage in Chernobyl cooperation under the aegis of the United Nations.