Pacific civil society groups are calling on the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders to take a definitive stance against the release of treated nuclear wastewater by Japan into the Pacific Ocean. This urgent appeal comes ahead of the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara, Solomon Islands, where a detailed briefing paper has been distributed by the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG). This document stresses the significant scientific, legal, and human rights issues attached to Japan’s ongoing discharge of treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The compiled report draws upon the insights of the Forum’s Independent Expert Panel and statements from UN Special Rapporteurs as well as civil society organizations. In August 2022, the Expert Panel concluded that it was unsafe to discharge the treated wastewater into the ocean, suggesting the cessation of further discharge infrastructure development. Concerns have been raised regarding threats to ecosystems, migratory species, and the livelihoods within the Pacific due to potential bioaccumulation and pollution across boundaries.
In 2023, a formal complaint was lodged with the United Nations by civil society groups, including Ocean Vision Legal and PANG, citing unresolved risks from radionuclides such as tritium, carbon-14, and strontium-90 which are not entirely removed by Japan’s current treatment processes. On May 19, 2025, six UN Special Rapporteurs communicated their concerns to Japan, pinpointing insufficiencies in the data and methodologies used by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), critiquing the inadequate consultation, and underscoring violations of critical safety principles. The human rights-related worries presented included threats to health, life quality, food security, and the rights of future generations.
The Rapporteurs made a clear recommendation for Japan to immediately halt the discharges, to explore less harmful alternatives thoroughly, and to engage in meaningful consultations with Pacific nations and their communities. The PANG briefing encourages Forum Leaders to reconfirm their regional opposition to this practice, ensure the reinstatement of the Forum’s Independent Expert Panel for continuous monitoring, and contextualize the Fukushima incident within broader human rights and ocean protection frameworks, such as the recent International Court of Justice’s ruling on climate.
Additionally, PANG is advocating for the creation of diplomatic red lines concerning Japan’s actions, suggesting a review of Japan’s Dialogue Partner status should the country persist with these discharges. The urgency and resoluteness of this call come from a place of protecting Pacific people’s rights and safeguarding the ocean’s integrity, highlighting that without addressing these concerns, Japan’s actions will continue to adversely affect the region.
This issue is expected to be a prominent topic at the upcoming Forum Leaders Meeting, as civil society continues to champion the cause of ecological preservation and safeguarding human rights within the Pacific. Amidst these challenges, this stance can serve as a prominent exemplification of the Pacific’s commitment to environmental stewardship and the protection of future generations’ rights.
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