Fourth-Generation Nuclear Survivor Urges Global Justice

On the International Day Against Nuclear Tests, Oemwa Johnson, representing the youth of Kiribati, addressed the United Nations General Assembly, calling for urgent action on nuclear justice.

“We cannot inherit a legacy of complacency, nor live in the shadow of these weapons,” she told attendees in the UN General Assembly Hall.

As Youth Representative of Kiribati, Johnson highlighted the impact of past nuclear tests on her family and community. Between 1957 and 1962, the United States and United Kingdom conducted nuclear tests on Kiritimati Island, causing devastating health and environmental consequences.

Johnson’s grandfather, exposed to radiation at age 14, suffered lifelong impairments, including hearing loss and cognitive decline. Her father’s two older sisters were born prematurely and died shortly after birth, and similar tragedies affected other families in the community. The nuclear tests also left lasting environmental damage; some local fish remain radioactive and can make people ill if consumed.

Advocating for disarmament, Johnson urged Member States to support an international trust fund established to assist victims of nuclear testing, first proposed by Kiribati and Kazakhstan in 2022. Kiribati is a member of the Coordination Committee of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which requires signatories to provide aid to affected populations.

Drawing on her personal experience as a fourth-generation survivor, Johnson called on the international community to strengthen the treaty, stressing: “For the sake of all mothers, children and future generations, the lives of many depend on this.”