UN General Assembly Adopts Eighth Georgian IDP Resolution

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly this week adopted the eighth resolution which recognises the right of safe, dignified and unhindered return of all internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees to their homes in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.

The UN General Assembly adopted the Georgian draft resolution "Status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia” with a vote of 75 in favour to 16 against, with 78 abstentions, at the UN headquarters in New York, USA.

Georgian PM, Irakli Garibashvili, positively assessed the adoption of the resolution and hailed it a "victory of Georgian diplomacy”.

"Seventy-five states supported the issue of IDPs’ return to their homes in occupied regions. This is extremely important and unprecedented assistance, as well as an expression of support towards our country,” he said.

"In addition, this is a victory of Georgian diplomacy because our foreign agency has worked very well to convince the skeptical states which were not supporting the resolution. Therefore, I would like to point out that we are moving in the right direction."

Georgian Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili said the aim of the annual presentation of this resolution to the UN General Assembly (first presented in 2008) is to ensure the strengthening of links with supporting countries and the increase of this number. “For the first time Turkey, which has always abstained from the vote in previous years, voted in favour of the resolution,” said Beruchashvili.

However, Russia’s representative at the UN General Assembly voted against the resolution, claiming it as "politicized and opportunistic” and as an attempt by the Georgian side to use humanitarian principles to pursue its political agenda in defiance of the wishes of the peoples and regions concerned.

Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Dondua emphasised that the resolution was not directed at any particular side.

"It is significant that the resolution calls on the participants of the Geneva Talks to become more active in order to improve human rights protection in the breakaway regions. That will promote the IDPs to return to their homes,” he said.