U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Japan later this week to assess the situation in the earthquake and tsunami ravaged country, particularly at the Fukushima nuclear plant where radiation levels have reached a record high.
Mr. Ban will visit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station “to see first—hand the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami“.
His visit comes even as the Tokyo Electric Power Company said yesterday it had monitored record high radiation at the nuclear power plant that was severely crippled by the March 11 quake and tsunami.
ADVERTISEMENT
During the visit that begins on Saturday, Mr. Ban will tour an evacuation centre and speak with students at a high school in Fukushima City, his spokesperson said here.
In Tokyo, he will meet with Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto.
The Secretary General will also visit Korea, where he will launch the Global Model UN Conference in Incheon, as well as address the opening of the Academic Impact forum in capital Seoul.
ADVERTISEMENT
This year’s Global Model UN Conference, held from August 10 to 14, will bring together 600 student delegates — drawn from 53 UN Member States — for debates around the theme of ‘Sustainable Development: Advancing Human Progress in Harmony with Nature.
While in Seoul, Mr. Ban will meet President Lee Myung-bak and Foreign Minister Kim Sung—hwan, among other officials.