International Meeting on Victim Assistance and Environmental Remediation

April 24th, 2026, 10 am – 1pm & 3 – 6pm

ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York

On April 24th, 2026, the United Nations will convene the first ever meeting on Victim Assistance and Environmental Remediation to address the legacy of nuclear weapons: providing victim assistance and environmental remediation to Member States affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons. The meeting is mandated by the UN resolution 79/60, originated by the Republics of Kazakhstan and Kiribati, two states affected by nuclear testing. Over 2,000 nuclear tests that have been detonated worldwide, and the environmental and humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons have transcended national borders and continue to cause harm. Action and support for affected communities by UN Member States are sorely needed.

Registration

Civil society representatives, including from organizations accredited to the Economic and Social Council, as well as relevant United Nations agencies, scientists, representatives of communities affected by the use, production and testing of nuclear weapons, and academia are encouraged to participate in the meeting with UN accreditation.  Please check back here to view instructions and relevant deadlines for applying for accreditation to the meeting.

Schedule

The meeting will take place for one day on Friday, April 24th from 10 am to 6pm Eastern Time at United Nations HQ in New York in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber. Accredited civil society will be able to give limited interventions at certain points in the schedule. Please check back here for the indicative timetable.

Background information

On December 22, 2023, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution 78/240 entitled “Addressing the Legacy of Nuclear Weapons: Providing Victim Assistance and Environmental Remediation to States Affected by the Use or Testing of Nuclear Weapons.” The resolution was tabled by the Republics of Kazakhstan and Kiribati, two countries impacted by the nuclear testing conducted by the Soviet Union, in the case of Kazakhstan, and by the United States and the United Kingdom, in the case of Kiribati.

On December 2nd, 2024, the UNGA adopted resolution 79/60 with the same title which additionally requested the Secretary-General to convene a one-day meeting on victim assistance and environmental remediation at the United Nations in 2026.

The resolution 80/56 adopted on December 2nd, 2025, established the modalities of the meeting.

All resolutions were voted with overwhelming support from the UNGA, with Nuclear Weapon States almost exclusively voting against or abstaining.