Statement on behalf of the member states of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development — GUAM
UN General Assembly resolution A/71/L.71 on the “Status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia”
General Assembly, United Nations
1 June 2017, New York
Mr. President,
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development — GUAM and its member states: Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Republic of Moldova and my own country, Ukraine.
Millions of people in the GUAM countries have become affected by armed conflicts, disrupting their lives and leaving them in need of protection, assistance and support. The protracted nature of the conflicts in the GUAM area is one of the most serious challenges that our nations are facing. While in some countries displacement is an ongoing crisis, in the GUAM area displacement is already a generational issue, which needs to be addressed regardless of the political settlement of the conflicts. Ensuring the safe and dignified return of IDPs and refugees in the GUAM area, as the principle way of achieving durable solutions for the forcibly displaced persons, is an overarching goal of our countries. We believe that political issues cannot be used for preventing or conditioning the exercise of the right of return to places of origin, as well as the enjoyment of property rights.
The World Humanitarian Summit held in May 2016 and the New York Declaration adopted at the UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants in September 2016 reaffirmed our joint commitments to leave no one behind, while upholding the norms that safeguard humanity.
This draft resolution addresses the plight of hundreds of thousands of IDPs and refugees forcibly displaced from the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia as a result of the conflict and several waves of displacement in early 1990s and in 2008. The protracted nature of the conflicts not only increases the number of those expelled from their homes, but also adds to their suffering. As a humanitarian resolution, the text focuses solely on the humanitarian aspects of the displacement and calls for respect of the right of return, property rights and humanitarian access to the affected regions of Georgia. Notably, the overwhelming majority of the Georgian IDPs are willing to return to their homes, as reflected in the 2015 UNHCR survey, according to which 88.3 % of its respondents indicated their willingness to return to their homes voluntarily, in safety and with dignity.
We believe that the UN General Assembly is best placed to send a powerful message to the affected persons, as well as to the participants of the Geneva International Discussions — an important platform to discuss and facilitate the return process. We regret that, since the adoption of the latest resolution during the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, none of its clauses has been implemented, as it is underlined in the UN Secretary-General’s report A/71/899.
We condemn all actions against the basic human rights and freedoms in respect of internally displaced persons and refugees, in violation of the relevant obligations under international law. In this context, we are seriously concerned by the recent developments in the occupied territories of Georgia, including the holding of the so-called referendum on 9 April 2017 in the Tskhinvali region to rename the region into the “Republic of South Ossetia — State of Alania”, as well as the systematic closure of the checkpoints along the occupation line with the Abkhazia region to impose further severe restrictions on free movement of the local population. Such developments create additional impediments to the return of IDPs and refugees to their homes.
In complete absence of basic safeguards to monitor the situation in the occupied regions, unimpeded access of humanitarian actors and human rights monitoring bodies to these territories are of paramount importance. In this context, we recall the adoption for the first time by the UN Human Rights Council during its March 2017 session of the resolution on cooperation with Georgia, in which the Council expresses serious concern over the human rights and humanitarian situation in the occupied regions of Georgia — Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, calls for immediate access of the Office of the UN High Commissioner and other international and regional human rights mechanisms to the occupied territories and also expresses concern over the fact that internally displaced persons and refugees from these regions are unable to exercise their right of return to their places of origin in safety and with dignity.
Mr. President,
The GUAM Member States reiterate their unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders.
In conclusion, we consider the support for this draft resolution as a sign of solidarity with all forcibly displaced persons around the world as well as of reaffirmation of the commitment of the international community to the fundamental right of return, the right to property and humanitarian access. Therefore, as in previous years, we will vote in favor of this draft resolution and encourage others to join us in supporting this cause.
I thank you.