GUIDANCE: UNOMIG MANDATE RENEWAL

UNCLAS STATE 039193

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: UNSC GE PREL PBTS

SUBJECT: GUIDANCE: UNOMIG MANDATE RENEWAL



1. (U) This is an action message. USUN is authorized to vote
to approve the UNOMIG resolution in para 2 below.


2. (U) Begin resolution text.

The Security Council,

PP1 Recalling all its relevant resolutions
including resolution 1781 of 15 October 2007 (S/RES/1781);

PP2 Welcoming the reports of the Secretary-General
on the activities of the United Nations Observer Mission
in Georgia of 23 January 2008 (S/2008/38) and
2 April 2008 (S/2008/219);

PP3 Reiterating the importance of maintaining the
separation of forces and the preservation of the
ceasefire;

PP4 Supporting the sustained efforts of the
Secretary-General and of his Special Representative with

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the assistance of the Group of Friends of the
Secretary-General as well as the Russian Federation in its

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capacity as facilitator and of the OSCE, underlining the
increased importance of the meetings in the Geneva format
as the forum for meaningful political dialogue and
welcoming the Georgian and Abkhaz renewed commitment to
this process;

PP5 Noting that whereas the United Nations and the
Group of Friends of the Secretary-General will continue to
support the process of conflict resolution between the
Georgian and Abkhaz sides, the primary responsibility to
make use of this support and to implement measures to
advance the process, in particular measures to build
confidence, remains with both sides;

PP6 Regretting the continued lack of progress in
implementing confidence building measures, and underlining
the importance of constructive goodwill between the sides
and respect for each other's concerns;

PP7 Stressing the importance of close and effective
cooperation between UNOMIG and the CIS peacekeeping force
as they currently play an important stabilizing role in
the conflict zone, and recalling that a lasting and
comprehensive settlement of the conflict will require
appropriate security guarantees;

PP8 Stressing that economic development is urgently
required in Abkhazia, Georgia, to improve the livelihoods
of the communities affected by the conflict, in particular
refugees and internally displaced persons;


1. Reaffirms the commitment of all Member States to
the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of
Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and
supports all efforts by the United Nations and the Group
of Friends of the Secretary-General, which are guided by
their determination to promote a settlement of the
Georgian-Abkhaz conflict only by peaceful means and within
the framework of the Security Council resolutions;


2. Reaffirms its strong support for UNOMIG, and
again urges the parties to cooperate fully with the
mission and to actively and sustainably engage in the
political process led by the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General; and welcomes UNOMIG's continued

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consultations with the parties on strengthening its
observation capacity;


3. Welcomes the recent improvements in the overall
security situation; calls on both sides to consolidate and
broaden those improvements; underlines the need for a
period of sustained stability along the cease-fire line
and in the Kodori valley; and stresses the necessity to
keep under close observation the situation in the Upper
Kodori valley which has to be in line with the Moscow
agreement on ceasefire and separation of forces of 14 May
1994;


4. Welcomes the renewed commitment given by both
sides during the meeting chaired by the United Nations in
Geneva on 18 and 19 February 2008 to resume regular
consultations within the Quadripartite meetings on
security issues without delay, and urges once more both
sides to fulfil finally this commitment;


5. Expresses its concern at any violation of the
ceasefire and separation of forces regime in the Zone of
Conflict;


6. Strongly urges all parties to consider and
address seriously each other's legitimate security
concerns, to refrain from any acts of violence or
provocation, including political action or rhetoric, to
comply fully with previous agreements regarding ceasefire
and non-use of violence, and to maintain the security zone
and the restricted weapons zone free of any unauthorized
military activities; and in this regard recalls the
recommendations of the Secretary-General contained in
S/2007/439 and his subsequent reports;


7. Calls on both sides to finalize without delay
the document on the non-use of violence; and calls on both
sides to finalize without delay the document on the return
of refugees and internally displaced persons;


8. Stresses anew the urgent need to alleviate the
plight of refugees and internally displaced persons and
the need for a perspective of life in security and dignity
in particular for a new generation growing up outside
Abkhazia, Georgia;


9. Reiterates and reaffirms as fundamentally
important the right of return for all the refugees and the
internally displaced persons to Abkhazia, Georgia,
reaffirms the importance of such people's return to their
homes and property and that individual property rights
have not been affected by the fact that owners had to flee
during the conflict and that the residency rights and the
identity of those owners will be respected, and calls on
both sides to implement the UNHCR's Strategic Directions
for their return in the first instance to the Gali region;


10. Calls upon the parties to increase their
bilateral contacts by making full use of all existing
mechanisms as described in the relevant Security Council
resolutions in order to come to a peaceful settlement, and
to commit themselves to fulfil within a reliable timeframe
the conditions necessary for the safe, dignified and swift
return of refugees and internally displaced persons;


11. Firmly convinced that the confidence-building measures
proposed by the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General
and endorsed through resolution 1752 of 13 April 2007, will
serve the development of broader and unbiased contacts between
the communities of the divided country, regrets the lack of
progress made with regard to confidence building measures
and urges again the Georgian and Abkhaz sides to implement
these measures without conditions;


12. Recalls, with a view to achieving a lasting and
comprehensive settlement, its support for the principles
contained in the "Paper on Basic Principles for the
Distribution of Competencies between Tbilisi and Sukhumi",
and welcomes additional ideas that the sides would be
willing to offer with a view to conducting creatively and
constructively a political dialogue under the aegis of the
United Nations;


13. Welcomes existing and encourages further
contacts between representatives of civil society, and
appeals to both sides to continue to promote without
reservation the active engagement of citizens and
officials in such contacts;


14. Underlines that it is the primary
responsibility of both sides to provide appropriate
security and to ensure the freedom of movement throughout
the zone of conflict of UNOMIG, the CIS peacekeeping force
and other international personnel and calls on both sides
to fulfil their obligations in this regard and to extend
full cooperation to UNOMIG and the CIS peacekeeping force;


15. Welcomes the efforts being undertaken by UNOMIG
to implement the Secretary-General's zero tolerance policy
on sexual exploitation and abuse and to ensure full
compliance of its personnel with the United Nations code
of conduct, requests the Secretary-General to continue to
take all necessary action in this regard and to keep the
Security Council informed, and urges troop-contributing
countries to take appropriate preventive action including
the conduct of predeployment awareness training, and to
take disciplinary action and other action to ensure full
accountability in cases of such conduct involving their
personnel;


16. Decides to extend the mandate of UNOMIG for a
new period terminating on 15 October 2008;


17. Requests the Secretary-General to make use of
this mandate in order to encourage and support the parties
in implementing measures to build confidence and to
establish an intensive and meaningful dialogue, with a
view to achieve a lasting and comprehensive settlement,
including the facilitation of a meeting at the highest
level, and to inform the Council in his next report on the
situation in Abkhazia, Georgia, on progress made in this
respect;


18. Strongly supports the efforts of the Special
Representative of the Secretary-General and encourages the
Group of Friends of the Secretary-General to continue
giving him their steadfast and unified support;


19. Decides to remain actively seized of the
matter.

End resolution text.
RICE