Noda: Fukushima lessons to be passed on

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NEW YORK, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda told the United Nations Japan will share the lessons from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster to promote nuclear safety.

Addressing the General Assembly, the Japanese leader urged U.N. members to act in the interest of future generations about nuclear safety.

He said the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami, led his government to take steps that would allow Japan to end its dependence on nuclear power by 2030s.

In this regard, Noda said, his government, along with the International Atomic Energy Agency, will co-sponsor the Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety at the end of this year and the U.N. World Conference on Disaster Reduction in 2015.

Noda also urged his counterparts to do more to combat threats such as environmental degradation, terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and to build a sustainable future for future generations.

"Political leaders must take charge of their responsibilities now for tomorrow," he said.