DECLARATION
by

Heads of States, Governments and the Representatives
of the participating States and Organizations

at the

Kyiv Summit on Safe and Innovative Use of Nuclear Energy

We, Heads of States, Governments and the Representatives of the participating States and Organizations have gathered inKyiv on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Chornobyl accident to reaffirm our commitment to work cooperatively in the area of nuclear safety, with the aim of strengthening our collective capabilities to prevent and mitigate the occurrence of such accidents in the future.

Earlier today, we discussed the outcome of international cooperative efforts, embracing the G8 countries as well as more than 20 other states, the EU and the EBRD to decommission the Chornobyl nuclear plant and transform the damaged reactor site to an environmentally safe and secure condition. We demonstrated our will and ability to work together to bring resolution to nuclear incidents. The Chornobyl pledging conference raised 550 million Euros. Some States consider the amount of their contribution. These funds support completion of the final stages of work to render the damaged Unit 4 site safe and illustrate our ability to collectively bring closure to this nuclear legacy.

Keeping in mind the lessons learned from the Chornobyl disaster we are convinced that application of safety measures must continue to be a top priority in all activities related to nuclear energy use. The highest standards of nuclear safety are an indispensable prerequisite for the use of nuclear energy.

The unfolding events at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant remind us of the importance of strengthening nuclear safety and of responding promptly to nuclear accidents and emergencies including those caused by large scale natural disasters. These events demonstrate that nuclear safety is enhanced when the global community works together to meet these challenges.

We strongly believe that cooperation and exchange of best practices in the field of planning, sitting, building and operation of nuclear facilities will contribute to the enhancement of nuclear safety. In this connection, we urge all of the states that have not yet acceded to the Convention on Nuclear Safety to do so as soon as possible. We urge the nuclear energy industry and regulators in States with Nuclear Power Plants to review existing power plants, in order to verify their capabilities to maintain safety even in the face of severe adverse events.

We are committed to maintaining the highest levels of emergency preparedness and response capability to mitigate the effects of a nuclear accident. In addition, we strive to maintain, to the extent possible, transparency during such crises to keep the public informed as events transpire and on the evolution of events.