UN General Assembly reaffirms right of Georgian IDPs to return home, China abstains

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution reaffirming the right of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees to return to their homes in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). The vote saw a rise in international support, while several global players - including China, Georgia’s strategic partner since 2023, chose to abstain.

The resolution, officially titled “Status of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and the Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, Georgia,” was passed on Tuesday with backing from 107 countries. Initiated by Georgia and co-sponsored by 63 other nations, it marks a continued international endorsement of Georgia's territorial integrity and the rights of displaced persons, regardless of ethnicity.

Crucially, the resolution calls for the safe, voluntary return of all displaced persons and their descendants, respect for their property rights, and a halt to demographic changes imposed by force.

China, along with 48 other countries, abstained from the vote. Among the abstaining states were major global and regional players such as India, Iran, Israel, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the United Arab Emirates. Switzerland - which plays a mediating role between Georgia and Russia - also abstained.

Nine countries voted against the resolution, including Russia, Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, and Zimbabwe. Syria, a long-time opponent of the measure and ally of Russia, notably changed its position and abstained this year following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

Venezuela and Nauru, which have previously recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, did not participate in the vote.

Following the adoption of the resolution, the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement thanking the supporting and co-sponsoring countries, calling the outcome a "significant show of solidarity" for the rights of displaced Georgians.

Though the resolution is non-binding, it is symbolically important for Georgia, which has faced Russian military occupation of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali since the 2008 war. The annual vote is seen in Tbilisi as a diplomatic measure to keep international attention on the unresolved conflict and the plight of nearly 300,000 displaced persons.