Human Rights Council takes up the Marshall Islands nuclear testing legacy of 67 known tests
2 October 2026
The radioactive legacy of United States nuclear bomb testing in the Marshall Islands was taken up at the Human Rights Council on Thursday.
The Council addressed the impact of 67 known tests conducted between 1946 and 1958.
UN deputy rights chief Awa Dabo said the legacy lives on in the bodies of Marshallese people and in "lands poisoned and communities displaced".
She said justice must be served for people unable to return to the atolls contaminated by the detonations.
Virtually every Marshallese family has been touched by enduring health consequences, which include elevated rates of cancer, she said.
Ms Dabo called on United States authorities to declassify data on radiation exposure and testing records.
The issue was also raised this week at a high-level General Assembly meeting.
In plain words
Atoll A ring-shaped coral island enclosing a lagoon — Bikini and Enewetak in the Marshall Islands were used as test sites.
Human Rights Council UN body of 47 member states based in Geneva — It examines human rights situations and reports to the General Assembly.