2007年VOA标准英语-ASEAN Forum Begins Work on Nuclear Watchdog

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Manila
01 August 2007

Foreign ministers from around the world have begun discussions in Manila on establishing a nuclear safety watchdog for the Asian region. The discussions are taking place in advance of the annual ASEAN Regional Forum¹ in Manila, where VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins compiled this report.

The ASEAN Regional Forum groups the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations with 17 others, including the European Union, the United States, China and Russia.

Foreign ministers from these nations began discussions here Wednesday on establishing an agency to ensure that nuclear reactors³ in the region are not used to produce nuclear weapons.

ASEAN is hosting the talks. It says it plans to work more closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency, to improve its ability to strengthen nuclear safeguards.

ASEAN has already welcomed the shutdown of North Korea's major nuclear reactor² last month. North Korea says that reactor has been used to produce weapons-grade plutonium, and last year the North Koreans carried out their first nuclear weapons test.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte talks to the media after his meeting with delegates of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila, 01 Aug 2007

John Negroponte, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and a former ambassador to Manila, assured ASEAN leaders the U.S. was deeply committed to the region, and commended its leaders for their work.

"We note the significance of the statement of ASEAN leaders on their shared vision to achieve peace, stability, democracy, and prosperity in the region. Also to strengthen democratic values, good governance, the rule of law, and respect for human rights and freedoms." said Negroponte.

ASEAN is in the process of drafting a charter that will formally define and regulate the group. ASEAN members reached a consensus⁴ Monday to establish a regional human rights body, over the objections of Burma, whose human rights record has been criticized by many countries.

The humanitarian⁵ crisis in Sudan's Darfur region was also raised during Wednesday's meetings. This followed Tuesday's resolution by the U.N. Security Council to send 26,000 troops and police to the region, where hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions more displaced.

China, which is represented here, was among those voting for the U.N. peacekeeping package. Beijing has previously⁶ been criticized for doing too little to help end the Darfur crisis, despite the country's close ties to the Sudanese government.

On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi called for the troops in Darfur to be backed up with increased efforts to end the bloodshed.

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

3 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

4 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。