UN Resolution recognises ‘right of return’ of Georgian IDPs

The United Nations (UN) has recognised the right of return of all displaced persons in Georgia and reaffirmed the unacceptability of forced demographic changes in a new Resolution.

At a session yesterday the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution recognising the right of return of all internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees and their descendants, regardless of ethnicity, to their homes throughout Georgia.

The Resolution on the "Status of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and the Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, Georgia” was initiated by the Georgian side.

The UN has adopted similar documents every year since the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.

This year 76 nations voted in favour of the Resolution and 15 voted against it, while 64 nations abstained from voting. The number of positive votes last year was 75.

The Resolution also underlined the urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian access to the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions.

The Georgian side believed this document reconfirmed Georgia was high on the international agenda.

"Having adopted this Resolution the General Assembly of the United Nations reaffirmed that the issue of Georgia still remains on the agenda of one of the most important world forums and attracts the attention of the international community,” said Georgia’s Foreign Minister in a statement.

The Ministry thanked all the states that supported the Resolution about IDPs right of return to their homes, "thus sending a strong signal of solidarity to all internally displaced persons and refugees”.

The document called upon participants of the Geneva International Discussions to reactivate efforts to ensure security and human rights protection in Georgia’s occupied regions, which in turn will facilitate the return of IDPs and refugees to their homelands.

Tbilisi said the Resolution was also of practical nature, since it requested the UN Secretary-General to present to the General Assembly an annual report on the status of the forcefully displaced.

"This provision is especially important against a background of the heavy situation of human rights in Georgia’s occupied territories and absence of international monitoring mechanisms that makes impossible the safe and dignified return of IDPs and refugees,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Georgia has 260,000 registered IDPs but authorities believe the actual number of forcefully displaced people is higher.