UN General Assembly backs Georgia-backed IDP resolution with support from 107 countries

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a Georgia-backed resolution on internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees from Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia), securing support from 107 member states, Georgia's Foreign Ministry has said.

The resolution, titled Status of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and the Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, Georgia, was adopted during the 80th session of the General Assembly in New York on 4 June.

According to the ministry, the initiative was co-sponsored by 68 countries from different regions of the world, four more than in the previous year. Only eight countries voted against the resolution, the lowest number of opposing votes recorded since Georgia first introduced the measure in 2008.

The resolution reaffirmmed the right of internally displaced persons and refugees, regardless of ethnic background, to return to their homes in safety and dignity. It also underlines the need to respect and protect their property rights.

Georgia's Foreign Ministry said the document condemned demographic changes brought about by force in the country's Russian-occupied regions and highlighted the humanitarian consequences of displacement.

Beyond its political significance, the resolution carries a practical mandate by requesting the UN Secretary-General to prepare an annual report on its implementation. The ministry said this was particularly important given the human rights situation in the occupied territories and the absence of international monitoring mechanisms on the ground.

The resolution also calls on participants in the Geneva International Discussions to intensify efforts to improve security and human rights conditions in the occupied regions, with the aim of facilitating the eventual return of displaced people and refugees.

During the debate preceding the vote, statements in support of the resolution were delivered by the President of the UN General Assembly, the European Union, Lithuania on behalf of the Nordic and Baltic countries, the United Kingdom, Australia on behalf of Canada and New Zealand, Ukraine and Japan.

The Foreign Ministry thanked all countries that supported the resolution and joined the initiative as co-sponsors, saying their backing reaffirmed support for the right of displaced persons and refugees to return to their homes.