"When we discuss constituents from decades of abandonment or dumped underwater munitions one should considers that fish processing, tourism, traditional fishing, transportation and aquaculture are all bound tightly with the oceans, only then we begin to understand the value of the oceans from an economic perspective."

Terrance P. Long CPSM. SSM. CD.
Chairman, International Dialogues on Underwater Munitions (IDUM)

 

DO NOT MISS THE PLANNING MEETING FOR THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE ON UNDERWATER MUNITIONS IN OLD SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO FROM 11-14 JUNE 2012.
LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE.

ACCOMMODATIONS: click here

 

3rd International Dialogue on Underwater Munitions - Sopot, Poland

Call For Papers - 4th IDUM
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Underwater chemical, conventional, radiological and biological weapons munitions sites can be found in most of our oceans and seas. In many regions of the world underwater munitions they are also found in lakes and inland waterways. In December 2010 Lithuanian Diplomats sponsored a United Nations (UN) resolution on sea-dumped chemical munitions (weapons). The resolution was proposed to the UN’s Second Committee on Sustainable Development and was passed at the United Nations in December, 2011. The UN resolution is titled "Cooperative measure to assess and increase awareness of environmental effects related to waste originating from chemical munitions dumped at sea".

The resolution notes the concerns about the potential long-term environmental effects related to waste originating from chemical munitions dumped at sea, including their potential impacts on human health. It invites States Parties and international and regional organizations to keep under observation the issue of the environmental effects related to waste originating from chemical weapons dumped at sea, to cooperate and voluntarily share relevant information on the issue. The resolution further states and invites the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States and relevant regional and international organizations on issues related to the environmental effects of waste originating from chemical munitions dumped at sea, as well as on possible modalities for international cooperation to access and increase awareness on this issues and to circulate such views to the General Assembly at its sixty-eight session of the United Nation in 2013 for further consideration.

The International Dialogues on Underwater Munitions (IDUM) continues to seek input in support of this UN resolution from a broad base of stakeholders on the science, technology, policy and potential responses to underwater munitions worldwide. The IDUM will continue to collect and process information on underwater munitions to build our information repository for its dissemination to the United Nations, Second Committee on Sustainable Development in 2013 for consideration by the Secretary General of the United Nations.

Following a successful third IDUM in Sopot, Poland, with its focus on the Baltic Sea region, we are building on its this success with the fourth IDUM, to be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico from 1 – 3 October, 2012. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth territory of the United States and has experienced more than 60 years of bombing on the islands of Culebra and Vieques from US and NATO Forces. The bombing range and live impact areas include both land and underwater sites.

Compared to the rest of Puerto Rico, Vieques residents have substantially higher rates of cancer, hypertension, diabetes, cirrhosis and epilepsy especially the young. We hope to better understand the socio-economic impacts on both human and environmental health from years of exposure to decaying munitions and open-air detonations on the Islands.

Any meaningful response to the worldwide concern of underwater munitions requires a multi-lateral and multi facet approach. We hope to better understand and update or "lessons learned" by hearing from individuals and organizations on their experiences with underwater munitions and marine coastal zone contamination. Although our main focus for this IDUM will be Puerto Rico, we will also review and accept papers from other regions of the world. We are expecting a strong present at the fourth IDUM from Europe. We want to learn from your experiences on how they relate to safe and environmentally friendly technologies for research, detection, mapping, intrusive investigation, handling, recovery, relocation and disposal of underwater munitions.

Interested parties should send an abstract of their proposed presentation (approximately 250 words) in both PDF and Word format to Terrance P. Long, papers@underwatermunitions.org with the subject heading: Paper for Fourth IDUM. We will be accepting papers until August 15th 2012. Papers will be reviewed by the International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) on Sea Dumped Chemical Weapons (SDW's) in The Hague. We encourage everyone to provide your input for this important international event in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For additional information please visit www.underwatermunitions.org or contact chairmen@underwatermunitions.org.