UN deputy rights chief tells the Human Rights Council that the Marshall Islands nuclear testing legacy still harms Marshallese people

1 October 2026

The enduring radioactive legacy of US nuclear bomb testing in the Marshall Islands took centre stage at the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday, 1 October 2026.
Addressing the impact of 67 known tests conducted between 1946 and 1958, UN deputy rights chief Awa Dabo said it lives on in the bodies of Marshallese people, in "lands poisoned and communities displaced".
She said justice must be served for the people unable to return to the contaminated atolls, and that the health consequences include elevated rates of cancer.
Ms. Dabo said Marshallese communities have the right to an effective remedy, and called on US authorities to declassify information about data on radiation exposure and testing records.
The page adds that the health consequences of repeated nuclear testing were also highlighted this week at a high-level General Assembly meeting.