UN General Assembly adopts key resolution on Georgian IDPs with record support

The United Nations General Assembly, during its 79th session in New York, on Tuesday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on the “Status of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, Georgia”.

The resolution, initiated by Georgia and 63 other countries from around the world, garnered a record 107 votes in favour, marking a significant show of international solidarity.

Georgia has been introducing this resolution to the UN General Assembly annually since May 2008. Its primary objective is humanitarian, condemning the forced demographic changes carried out by Russia in Georgia's occupied regions.

The resolution reaffirms the right of all displaced persons, regardless of their ethnic origin, to return to their homes in dignity and safety, and underscores the vital need to respect and protect their property rights.

In addition to its humanitarian context, the resolution also has a practical implication, as it instructs the United Nations Secretary General to prepare an annual report on the implementation of the resolution. This is particularly important given the dire human rights situation in the occupied regions of Georgia and the lack of international monitoring mechanisms.

The resolution also calls on the participants in the Geneva International Discussions to intensify their efforts to improve the security and human rights situation in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region, which, in turn, will facilitate the process of returning internally displaced persons and refugees to their homes.

In recent years, the said resolution has become a global initiative, as dozens of countries from different regions of the world have joined the ranks of its co-authors.

During the resolution's discussion on Tuesday, statements of support were made by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Lithuania (on behalf of the Baltic and Nordic countries), Canada (on behalf of Australia and New Zealand), and Japan.

Notably, Georgia not only maintained but also increased the annual momentum of support for the resolution, a testament to growing international recognition of the issue.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia extends its gratitude to all states that supported and co-authored the resolution. This decision, the Ministry stated, reaffirms each country's support for the right of internally displaced persons and refugees to return, and demonstrates solidarity with every displaced individual.