UN Special Reporter: “Georgia’s improved living conditions of IDPs”

The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) says Georgia has managed to address vital issues to improve the lives of IDPs. 

This afternoon Chaloka Beyani sat down with Georgia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikheil Janelidze at Georgia’s capital Tbilisi to discuss human rights in Georgia and issues facing IDPs.

I see the progress Georgia has recently achieved in terms of improving the living conditions of IDPs, refining legislation … and managing to provide long-lasting settlement of some important issues,” Beyani said. 

He welcomed this progress and Georgia to continue supporting IDPs.

The meeting was important as Georgia has about 260,000 IDPs who were forced from their homes during internal conflicts in the country’s two de-facto regions Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). 

The UN Human Rights expert said prior to coming to Georgia he had asked for permission to visit Georgia’s two breakaway regions but his request was turned down.  

Janelidze briefed Beyani on the current challenging situation in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali  where the human rights of IDPs were continually violated. The people living near the Administrative Boundary Lines (ABL) separating the two regions from the rest of Georgia were also affected, said Janelidze.

The Georgian high official stressed the importance of having international observing missions in Georgia’s two de facto areas, which are occupied by Russia, however right now this was not a reality. Currently only the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) operated in Georgia but the organisation had no access to the occupied areas.

The UN expert is scheduled to hold several high level meetings in Georgia and visit villages located at the ABLs before he departs late on Wednesday, September 28.