GEORGIA OFFERS NON-PAPER ON NEW UN MISSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TBILISI 000670 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2019 TAGS: PREL MOPS KBTS RS GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA OFFERS NON-PAPER ON NEW UN MISSION REF: A. TBILISI 625 ¶B. USUN 326 Classified By: DCM Kent D. Logsdon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On April 2, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Nalbandov called in the DCM to provide a non-paper with Georgia's thoughts on a new UN mission in Abkhazia, Georgia (as promised in ref A; see paragraph 2 for text) and asked for U.S. support. He indicated he would also pass it to UN Special Representative Verbeke as well as local representatives of Germany and those members of the UN Security Council with missions in Georgia (China, France, Japan, Turkey, and the UK) -- but pointedly noted that the U.S. was receiving it first. Contrasting it to UN Special Representative's latest non-paper (ref B),Nalbandov said Georgia's contribution covers all three components that Georgia considers important in a UN mission: security (the one area Verbeke's paper does cover),humanitarian issues, and monitoring. He explained that, although this is a non-paper and not a draft mandate or resolution, Georgia considers all the elements included in the paper essential to an effective mission. The DCM thanked Nalbandov for the paper and said the U.S., which is in the process of considering its own position, would certainly take Georgia's thoughts into account. (Comment: Post is encouraged that Georgia seems to be taking a much more proactive role in the discussion of a new mandate than it did in the period leading up to December 2008's UNSCR 1866.) ¶2. (SBU) The text of the non-paper follows. (Begin text.) Some Elements of the Future UN Presence in Abkhazia, Georgia NEED FOR A NEW EFFECTIVE SECURITY ARRANGEMENT Due to the lack of secure environment in the Gali region, where Georgian population represents an absolute majority, it is necessary to elaborate such security mechanism through the UNSC Resolution, which will protect the safety and dignity of the population and will create conditions for the safe and dignified return of the IDPs and refugees. The very same regime has to be established in the Kodori Valley, the territory from which the local population has been forcefully expelled recently. Future security arrangement has to provide security for the local population and prevent the acts of ethnic cleansing, terrorism, human rights violations and other forms of violence. In order to meet these goals, Georgia has the following vision on the future UN presence in Abkhazia, Georgia. SECURITY REGIME Demilitarized Security Zone (DSZ): DSZ shall be established in the following areas: - On Georgian side of the administrative border: Zone A. 12 km to the east of the administrative border line. The total length of the zone should be 60km; - On the territory occupied by the Russian Federation: Zone B. Whole Gali Region; Zone C. Kodori Valley. DSZ shall include following restrictions: - No presence of the armed forces and equipment shall be allowed in these zones; - No personnel of the local law-enforcement agencies shall be allowed in the Zones B and C; - No more than 500 law enforcement personnel should be allowed in the Zone A; - Limited number of light wheeled unarmed armored vehicles intended for the law-enforcement use shall be allowed in the Zone A. Confidence Zone: Confidence Zone shall be established in the following areas: QConfidence Zone shall be established in the following areas: - 12 km.s around the security zones A and B, including the territorial waters in the Black Sea; Confidence Zone shall include the following restrictions: - No heavy military equipment, including tanks, armored personnel carriers, all types of artillery and mortars and military vehicles can be allowed to the Confidence Zone; TBILISI 00000670 002 OF 003 - No more than 500 law enforcement personnel should be allowed into the Confidence Zone; - Light wheeled unarmed armored vehicles intended for the law-enforcement use shall be allowed in the Confidence Zone. MONITORING COMPONENT The area of responsibility of the UN monitors shall be the whole zone, where security regime (both demilitarized security zone and confidence zone) is in force; Mandate of the UN monitors should include the following: - Monitoring the implementation of the six-point cease-fire agreement of August 12, 2008; - Monitoring the compliance with the security regime introduced by the UNSC Resolution of June 15, 2009; - Patrolling the whole area of responsibility with an aim of receiving information about the breaches of the security regime; - Etablishing permanent observer checkpoints in the demilitarized security zone; - Monitoring the coastal waters and airspace in the UN area of responsibility; - Monitoring the violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the population residing in the AoR of the UN Mission; - Monitoring the process and conditions of return of the IDPs and refugees to the area of responsibility of the UN Mission; - Regular (on a weekly basis) reporting to the UN Secretariat on the outcomes of the monitoring; - Regular (on a monthly basis) reporting to the sides. Other Activities - Reinforcing the UN/OSCE HRO in Gali; - Establishing the institution of UN Ombudsman for the population of Gali and Ochamchire regions and Kodori Valley. EXECUTIVE POLICE COMPONENT UNEPF shall conduct its operation in the security zones B and ¶C. UNEPF shall have a right to carry sidearms and have the following tasks: - Establishment and maintenance of a secure environment, public safety and public order; - Protection of persons and their property; - Assistance with the return of the IDPs and refugees; - Safe and orderly passage of local residents through crossing points; - Support of the international humanitarian efforts; - Protection of cultural property; - Support of the international de-mining efforts; - Establishment of the secure environment for the normal functioning of the Enguri Hydro Electric Station. At the next stage, UNEPF shall take part in the establishment of the joint local police units, comprising Abkhaz and Georgians with law-enforcing functions. SOME OTHER ELEMENTS RELATED TO THE FUTURE DISCUSSION ON UNOMIG'S MANDATE Name of the Mission should be "United Nations Mission in Georgia;" The resolution must have a clear reference to those previous Security Council Resolutions, which underline the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders; The Russian proposal on the establishment of two missions (or any other option which undermines territorial integrity of Georgia) is unacceptable; It is extremely important that the name of the Agenda item, under which the UNSC Resolutions are discussed remains unchanged (it is currently called "Situation in Georgia"); It is important that the name of the UNSG report remains also unchanged (it is currently called "Situation in Abkhazia, Georgia"); The attendance of the representatives of the proxy regimes either at the UN Security Council meeting or other informal Qeither at the UN Security Council meeting or other informal meetings at the UN premises (for instance through Arria TBILISI 00000670 003 OF 003 formula) is unacceptable. (End text.) TEFFT