UN adopts resolution, supporting the return of Georgian IDPs to currently Russian-occupied regions

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Wednesday On the Status of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees from Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia.

 

The resolution was supported by 95 states, 15 more states than last year, including 27 EU member states.

 

Twelve went  against the resolution, while 56 abstained.

 

Georgia has submitted the resolution to the UN General Assembly since 2008.

 

The resolution condemned the “violent demographic change” in the Russian-occupied regions of Georgia, reaffirmed the right of IDPs to return to their homes in a dignified and safe manner, regardless of ethnicity, and emphasized the need to respect and protect their property rights.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia said that, in addition to the humanitarian context, the resolution also had a practical significance, as it instructed the UN Secretary General to prepare an annual report on the situation of the IDPs living in Georgia.

 

“This is particularly important in light of the difficult human rights situation in the Russian-occupied territories of Georgia and the lack of international monitoring mechanisms, which is another obstacle to the safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons and refugees,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

 

The resolution called on the participants in the Geneva International Discussions to step up efforts to improve the security and human rights situation in the Russian-occupied regions, which in turn would  facilitate the return of  IDPs and refugees to their homes.

 

The central Georgian government lost control of its Abkhazia region on September 27, 1993, leaving more than 300,000 IDPs.

 

The August 2008 war with Russia claimed the lives of 228 Georgian civilians and 14 police officers.

 

 According to the latest data of the Ministry of Defense, 169 soldiers were considered dead. 1,747 people were wounded during the war. Nearly 150,000 people had left their homes, of which about 30,000 remain internally displaced.

 

As a result of the August 2008 war, Georgia lost control of 189 villages, 125 of which are still under Russian occupation.

 

Russia recognized the “independence” of the Georgian regions back in 2008.

 

Since then only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have joined the illegal move.