Majuro, Marshall Islands – March 3, 2025 – H.E. President Hilda C. Heine delivered the keynote address at the 37th Memorial Anniversary of Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day at the Majuro Track & Field. This year’s theme, “Ae in Bartak Ju Ae Maroñroñ” – “Unite and work collaboratively,” called for greater unity in the fight for nuclear justice. In her remarks, President Heine honored the survivors of the United States Nuclear Weapons Testing Program, emphasizing the ongoing struggles for justice, accountability, and redress. President Heine stressed the need for action, urging the United States to take meaningful steps to address the long-lasting health, environmental, and cultural impacts of nuclear testing on the Marshall Islands.
A significant part of the ceremony was President Heine’s announcement of the Republic of the Marshall Islands’ signing off on the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Rarotonga Treaty), which marks a historic step in strengthening the country’s commitment to a nuclear-free Pacific. The treaty, which establishes a nuclear weapons-free zone in the South Pacific, further strengthens the Marshall Islands’ commitment to promoting peace and security in the region and advancing global disarmament efforts.
In her address, President Heine also reaffirmed the Marshall Islands’ dedication to global nuclear justice, citing ongoing efforts such as presenting resolutions at the World Health Assembly and raising awareness of the nuclear legacy. She urged nations to unite for a future free from the destructive legacy of nuclear weapons, emphasizing the need for lasting solutions and solidarity. President Heine also reiterated the importance of working together with both regional and international partners to ensure the Marshallese people’s nuclear legacy is fully addressed.
The ceremony reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to nuclear justice, with President Heine urging all nations to unite in the pursuit of a future free from the destructive legacy of nuclear weapons.
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Statement of H.E. President Hilda C. Heine on
Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day
March 3, 2025
“Ae in Bartak Ju Ae Maroñroñ”
Iakwe komwoj aolep!
Kile im nebar Anij
Kile Ṃanit eo, Chairman Lanny Kabua, Iroj im Leroj im owner eo ilo Mweo Imweir im Iroj ro i pelakin Aelon Kein. Kile Leiroj Takbar im Alap eo aer bwidej in.Kile Reverend Lawson Matauto, bareinwot kile rikaki ro jet ilo kabun ko kajojo;
Ro Uan Cabinet eo, ro karejeraer;
Speaker Wase, Vice speaker Zackhras im ro uaan Nitijela eo, im ro karejeraer;
Judiciary eo, Chief Justice im judge ro mottan;
Kile ro mottad ilo Diplomatic Corps eo;
Mayor Ladie Jack im aolep mayor ro kajojo;
Ro jen private sector eo im jen doluul ko kajojo;
Kile aolep armij in Majol.
Ilo etan Aeloñ Kein Ad im kejwoj aolep, ij lewaj ao naan in okmenen in karuwainene ñan rilotok rein ad raar itok jen ijoko retolak jen Pacific Islands Forum, United Nations, im ijoko jet. Ilo rainin elap im eaurok, im jej ememlokjen, jej kautej ro im raar kakurmool im mour ilo tore in kokamelmel ko; Ro im raar ion joreen ko rellap im eloñ iaer emoj aer mootlak jen kej im jejjo wot rej bed ibed rainin.
Iomin eloñ yio, eloñ ro lak imaan raar jelmae lal ko rellap ñan aer kenono kin abañ kein raar walok jen kokamelmel ko ak ñan rainin ejañin wor uuak.
Mekarta ñe elap an bwil burwod kin wawein in, ak jej aikuj kutarre im ke burwod ilo ad kwalok joreen kein ñan mejen lal in. Ilo an jako lak kapeel kein ad, im an jañin rool armej ñan ijoko jikier, elukin aurok ilo tore in bwe en loñlak buñton ko jej komani ñan jukjuk in bed kein ad im enjab buñ burwod kin joñan in jebed ie kio. Etoreen ñan ad emakut maanlok jen kenono wot ak jen bukwot mejlan ko renej komman oktak.
Iomin Compact 3, ewor jaan ko ñan kalek juon museum eo enaaj pijaiki im kejbarok melele ko ikijeen nuclear legacy in ad, bareinwot ñan korolak pepa ko rej enojak ikijen joreen ko raar walok. Ijo ke, melele ko ikijen joreen kein rekanoojin mulal im jerbal kein rejamin tober jemlokier.
Unin tel ne an yio in, Ae in Bartak Ju Ae Maroñroñ, ak koba iben droon, kajoor wot wor ñan kalok ilju im jeklaj eo epolomen.
Wawein in alikar ilo kottober ko ad enwot juon lal, ilo ad jutak ibben droon im jerbal iben lal ko jet mottad ilo wodden bwil in Pacific in kab lal ko jet ilo ad bukot jemlok ko ñan abañ kein. Ilo jitob in jerbal kein wot, kien in ami ebojak in bar leloñtak petition eo ñan Congress en America. Juon laajrak eo ej kakurmool oktak ko jej jelmae rainin. Ejmour an armej, joreen ko ilo belaak ko belaakid, kab joreen ko jet im jej loi rainin itok wot jen kokamelmel ko. Itok jen ad juon wot ilo kottober kein ad, jenaaj maroñ liloñtak joreen kein raar jelet koj bwe wawein kein renjab bar walok ñan ilju im jaklaj eo adwoj kab ebeben ko tok elik. Ebar einwot juon waan joñok eo emman ñan lal in im rejjab melele kin joreen kein raar jelet koj.
Einwot an unintel ne kalikar, ij kur ñan kien eo an America bwe ren jutak ibed enot jet ro jerar im mottad im na mejlan joreen kein raar walok jen nuclear legacy in ad. Kajjitok eo ao in ñan kien en an America, Ewi toon ad naaj eowar bwe en tobrak aikuj kein ad? Emoj an mootlak torein komakut, im jej aikujin jerbal iben droon ñan bukot rebeltan ko rejejjot im ekkar rainin im ñan ilju eo ej beddo tok.
Ilo wot jitobin jerbal iben droon, jej reimaanwaj wot ñan an diwojtok juon ekatok eo im enaaj tibdrik e tok melele ko ikijen joreen kein. Ij bok ien in im kile im kamolol Pacific Islands Forum kab Secretary General Baron Waqa, kin an jab jemlok aer jutak ilikin jibadbad im kottober kein ad.
Rainin jej kamolol bwe emoj ad bar rool im member in council eo an United Nations – eo ej bok eddoin jimwe im maroñ ko an armej. Ilo yio eo lak, ikar koba lak iben council in ilo Geneva im tilmaakelok bwebwenato in adwoj. Kio ke kien in ad ej member in council in, jenaaj wonmaanlok wot loñaj kenono ko ilo jikin kweilok ko rellap ikijen wawein ko rekakure anemkwoj im maroñ ko ad jen tore in kokamelmel ko ñan rainin.
Opiij in an Jimwe im Maroñ ear komane juon jerbal in etale im je juon report eo im ej kur ñan kien en an America bwe en mool aer jerbal ibed ikijen abañ ko an inne, rainin, im ilju. Jej kotmene ke Report eo tok elik an opiij in enaj diwojtok ilo yio in lal. Jej tomak im kejatdikdik ke report in enaaj kile joreen ko armej in majol raar entaan kaki maan tak im rej ioon i wot ñan rainin.
Kur in ñan jerbal iben droon, ekitbuuj koj im lal ko jet ibelaakin lal in ñan pukot jibañ im kapeel ko ejabwe ibed ñan koman oktak. Ilo lukin mool eo, lal in emuri ibed. Kinke, jorein kein raar bok jikier ilo juon tore eo im aeloñ jidik kein ad rej bed iomin tel eo an United Nations, elañe jej kememejlok, kar flag eo ad im ekar ejobelbel mokta jen flag ne ad rainin ej flag eo an United Nations ilo tore ko an TT. Mekarta ñe ear wor ad petition ilo yio ko imaan nae kokamelmel ko, United Nation ear jab mokaj an eoroñ kajjitok ko ad ñan kabojrak program in kokamelmel ko. Im kin menin, jej aikujin jerbal iben United Nation ñan kajimwe bwod eo ear jarjar ilo tore ko mokta.
Rainin, kien in ad ej kobalok iben lal ko jet mottad, enwot Samoa im Vanuatu ñan leloñtak juon resolution ilo United Nations ñan an World Health Organization ak WHO, doulul eo ikijen ejmour ilo lal in, bwe en koman ekkatok ko ikijen wawein an joreen in baijin jelet mour im ejmour. Itok wot jen an jerbal in bok jikin, lal ko jet einwot Burkina Faso, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guatemala, Iraq, and Peru emoj aer kwalok ke renaaj jutak ilikin jibadbad in ad.
Emootlak enañin 30 yio jen ien eo WHO ear komane jet katok ko ikijen joreen ko rej walok jen baijin in bomb ko im wawein aer jelet enbwinin armej. Ejanin bar wor.
Ilo jibadbad im kottober ko ad, jej koba lak iben lal ko jet ilo Wodden bwil in Pacific in. Kien in ami ej bojak in bok juon buñton eo ñan sign i juon kwon eo nae etan South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone treaty ak ilo juon wawein jemaroñ bar ba Rarotonga Treaty. Kwon in ej kalikar ad rie kottober eo ñan bobrae ad kojerbal im letoletak kein tarinae ko rekajoor ilo meto in Pacific in. Jej kile ke ewor jet kakien ko an lal in im jejañin boki bwe en mweied, jen wot bujen ko ikotaad im lal eo jerad. Ijo ke, ejab jemlok an kien in ami liñur i melele ak kakien kein ñan bukot ial eo ejimwe im ekkar ñan armij in Majol.
Joreen in kokamelmel ko raar jelet koj, rej einwot woneen ko ñan bukot ainemon im jokane ñan lal in, im ilo an ejjelak jemlok ko nan armij rein ad ej einwot juon dri-kelel ilo burwod woj kajojo. Me ñe buñton kein reju, ak einwot komelet ilo unin tel ne, “Ae in Bartak Ju Ae Maroñroñ” jen koba im jerbal iben droon, kajoor wot wor ñan kalok juon ilju im jeklaj eo epolomen. Kom emool im Anij en bed ibedwoj.
Statement of H.E. President Hilda C. Heine
Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day
March 3, 2025
“Ae in Bartak Ju Ae Maroñroñ”
Iakwe komwoj aolep!
Kile/nebar Anij
Kile Ṃanit eo, Chairman Lanny Kabua, Iroj im Leroj im owner eo ilo Mweo Imweir im Iroj ro i pelakin Aelon Kein – Vice-Chairman Farrend Zackious
Juon kile ñan Leroij eo an weto in, Leroij Takbar Ishiguro, im Alap ro aer bwidej in
Ro Uan Cabinet eo, ro karejeraer;
Speaker Wase, Vice speaker Zackhras im ro uaan Nitijela eo, im ro karejeraer;
Judiciary eo, Chief Justice im judge ro mottan;
Chief Secretary eo; Chairman eo an PSC im Commissioner ro mottan, aolep jeban ra ko an Kien im rijerbal in Kien eo;
Diplomatic corps eo;
SG Baron Waqa, PIF im ri lotok ro jet jen pelaak in lal in;
Ro jen private sector eo im jen doluul ko kajojo;
Survivor rein rebed ibed ije imaan;
Mayor Ladie Jack im aolep mayor to kajojo;
Kile aolep armij in Majol.
On behalf of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and its people, I extend our warmest welcome to our visitors from afar – the Pacific Islands Forum, United Nations, and beyond. On this important yet difficult anniversary, we honor those who witnessed and lived through the horrors of weapons of mass destruction and have had to bear the profound burden of pain and loss, those who are still here with us today and those who have passed away.
For decades, we have fought for recognition, accountability, and remedy for the lasting impacts of the United States Nuclear Weapons Testing Program. Our testimonies of hardship and perseverance through the years have proven that meaningful redress has yet to be realized. While we remain committed to dialogue, it is disheartening that we must continue to reiterate the destructive impact that the nuclear legacy has had on our health, our environment, and way of life. The loss of traditional knowledge, the ongoing displacement of our communities, and the urgency of action remind us that there is much more that needs to be done and that complacency cannot be an option. It is time to move beyond words and toward meaningful, lasting solutions.
The inclusion of assistance under Compact 3 for establishing a museum memorializing our nuclear legacy and improving transparency on U.S. documents related to the nuclear testing program and its consequences is a step toward addressing these ongoing and unresolved issues. However, the nuclear legacy is a deeply complex and far-reaching issue that demands a more comprehensive and sustained approach and assistance.
This year’s memorial ceremony theme, Ae in Bartak Ju Ae Maroñroñ which translates to “unite and work collaboratively,” reminds us of strength in unity. It reflects our commitment as a nation to stand together and to work closely with our regional and international partners to seek justice and remedy. With this spirit, the RMI government is committed to prepare and submit a revised changed circumstances petition to the US Congress that outlines the many changed circumstances our people continue to face — new evidence of health impacts, environmental degradation, and the lasting social and cultural consequences. Our past may be marked by hardship, but through collective action and shared purpose, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of truth, accountability, and a future where no community bears such a burden again.
As today’s theme calls for unity, I call upon the United States government to stand with us in true partnership and work collaboratively to address the lingering and ongoing impacts of our nuclear legacy. How much longer must we continue to plead for justice? The time for action is long overdue — we must come together to devise meaningful, lasting solutions that fully acknowledge and address the harm inflicted upon our people, land, and future generations.
In our commitment to a world free of the dangers of nuclear weapons and for a safe and secure Pacific, today, we take a historic step by signing our accession to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, also known as the Rarotonga Treaty. We recognize that the Marshall Islands has yet to sign onto several key nuclear-related treaties, including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), largely due to our unique historical and geopolitical circumstances. However, we are committed to reviewing our positions and where it is in the best interest of the RMI and its people, we will take the necessary steps toward accession. In the spirit of unity and collaboration, we look forward to the results of an independent study of nuclear contamination in the Pacific. The world must never forget the Runit Dome, that stands like a silent tomb on a scarred island, a cracked and heavy lid over a buried past, holding the poison of history that we never chose yet are forced to live with every day. As a nation who continues to endure the consequences of the nuclear weapons testing program and experienced gross human rights violations in the process, we know the pain and anguish that nuclear weapons are capable of. This threat of nuclear weapons must be confined to history and never again endanger our people or the future of generations to come.
The Marshall Islands has this year rejoined the Human Rights Council as a member. In 2024, I addressed the Human Rights Council at its 57th session in September. I informed the Council of the nuclear legacy and called on the Council to support our efforts to address the human rights implications of this legacy. Now that the Marshall Islands is a member of the Council, we will continue work with the United Nations human rights special procedure mechanisms, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Universal Periodic Review process to raise greater global awareness on the serious human rights violations that took place during the testing period and the transgenerational human rights implications that continue to this day.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights has already published a report in 2024 which called for greater truth regarding our nuclear legacy. The report emphasized the need for the United States to be more forthcoming with the truth about what was done during the testing period and how it has affected us in the past, how it affects us right now and how it will continue to affect us in the future. The next report for the Office of the High Commissioner, which is anticipated in 2026, will sound the call for justice. Similarly, we hope that this report will recognize the injustices that the Marshallese people have faced and continue to face, and through this recognition, assist us in our efforts towards achieving justice for all the victims of this nuclear legacy. While we commemorate the victims of the nuclear legacy, in their honor, we must work with the Office of the High Commissioner to ensure that their stories are told to the World and no longer shrouded in secrecy under a veil of silence.
Working together means working within the Marshall Islands, developing our own institutional capacity and expertise to deal with this legacy, it means working with those responsible for this legacy to move them to act towards us in the spirit of shared humanity and address the wrongs of the past; however, it also means that we need the World to know about our struggles and we need to invite them to assist us in addressing these struggles. The United Nations is partly to blame for the nuclear legacy, because the nuclear weapons tests took place under the watch of the UN Trusteeship Council and the continuation of these tests was sanctioned by them, despite our petitions for them to stop following the devastation and suffering on 1 March 1954. Accordingly, we should work with the United Nations, including the Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to remedy the wrongs of the past and guarantee a better future for the Marshallese people.
Due to the nuclear legacy, the Marshall Islands is well aware of the dire and transgenerational health consequences that nuclear weapons pose. We also need the World to be reminded of the very real human health implications of the nuclear weapons testing period. The Marshall Islands, in partnership with Samoa and Vanuatu, a core group representing the Pacific subregions of Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia, will lead the presentation of a resolution to the World Health Assembly this year on “Effects of nuclear weapons and nuclear war on health and health services”. This resolution will aim to continue the World Health Organisations’ studies on the devastating effects of nuclear weapons on our health and to remind the World that, for the sake of humanity, we must not have nuclear war and we must fully recognize nuclear weapons for the abomination that they are. This initiative has already attracted cross-regional co-sponsorship from Burkina Faso, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Guatemala, Iraq, and Peru.
Like the Human Rights Council, which is the UN body that has a specialized focus on human rights issues, the World Health Organization is the UN body that has a specialized focus on human health. We should, therefore, continue to work with the World Health Organization to ensure that the human health implications of our nuclear legacy are documented in its studies.
So far, this is not the case. It has been over 30 years since the World Health Organization has undertaken a comprehensive study on the effects of nuclear weapons and its earlier studies were before the US partial declassification of the scientific experiments conducted on the Marshallese people under Project 4.1, following the Castle Bravo test. The World needs to know the truth, that not only do these weapons destroy human health, the drive for nuclear strength and power has pushed decorated and celebrated scientists to do the most cruel and inhumane scientific experiments and studies on our people.
The human rights violations that were imposed on our people and destruction of our islands for the price of world peace weighs heavily on us, and we share in the frustration that, even now, redress remains out of reach. I must emphasize that despite the many challenges, our commitment remains steadfast and our efforts will not waver.
“Ae in Bartak Ju Ae Maroñroñ.” Let us unite, let us work together, and we will have nuclear justice.
Kommol tata
