Chernobyl Forum
The group of UN agencies that assessed the consequences of the accident.
Last updated
The Chernobyl Forum is a group of UN agencies founded on 3–5 February 2003 at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. Its task is to assess scientifically the health effects and environmental consequences of the Chernobyl accident and to issue factual, authoritative reports. Eight UN organizations take part, together with the governments of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
Last updated 2026-09-29 from the source article.
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 3–5 February 2003, Vienna
- Members
- Eight UN organizations and the governments of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine
- Main report
- 5 September 2005
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The participating bodies include the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the UN programmes for development and the environment.
On 5 September 2005 the group released a comprehensive assessment of the consequences of the accident, covering environmental radiation, human health and socio-economic aspects. About 100 recognised experts from many countries contributed. A revised edition followed in March 2006, along with recommendations to the three governments. The report describes itself as a consensus view of the eight organizations and the three affected countries.
Reader's Guide
The report puts the confirmed deaths at 28 emergency workers, who died of acute radiation syndrome, and 15 patients with thyroid cancer. Looking ahead, its rough estimate is that up to 4,000 of the 600,000 most exposed cleanup workers might eventually die of cancers caused by the accident. Thyroid cancer accounts for 4,000 cases, mostly in people who were children or adolescents at the time, and almost 99% of those patients survive.
Trauma is a major theme. Many people were shaken by the accident and by being relocated quickly, and they remain anxious about their health. In the view of the report, exaggerated fear of radiation is a greater danger to mental health than the long-term effects of the exposure. It advises helping relocated people to normalise their lives, with better access to social services and jobs.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Chernobyl Forum (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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