United Nations Security Council Resolution 1364 – Georgia
Resolution 1364 (2001)
The Security Council,
Recalling all its relevant resolutions, in particular resolution 1339 (2001) of 31January 2001, and the statements of its President of 21 March 2001(S/PRST/2001/9) and 24 April 2001 (S/PRST/2001/12),
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 19 July 2001(S/2001/713),
Recalling the conclusions of the Lisbon (S/1997/57, annex) and Istanbul summits of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)regarding the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia,
Stressing that the continued lack of progress on key issues of a comprehensive settlement of the conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia, is unacceptable,
Deeply concerned by the interruption of negotiating activities following the killings and hostage-taking incidents in April and May 2001 in the district of Gali,on 8 and 9 July 2001 in the Gulripshi area and again on 22 July 2001 in Primorsk,
Expressing its regrets at the cancellation of the thirteenth session of the Coordinating Council of the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, initially scheduled for 17July 2001, due to the withdrawal of the Abkhaz side following those incidents,
Recalling the relevant principles contained in the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel adopted on 9 December 1994,
Welcoming the important contributions that the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) and the Collective Peacekeeping Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS peacekeeping force) continue to make in stabilizing the situation in the zone of conflict, noting that the working relationship between UNOMIG and the CIS peacekeeping force has remained very close, and stressing the importance of close cooperation between them in the performance oftheir respective mandates,
Noting the invitation of the Georgian Government for the Security Council to dispatch a mission to the region,
- Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General of 19 July 2001;
2. Regrets the deterioration of the situation in the zone of conflict due to theongoing violence, hostage-taking incidents, the rise in criminality and the activitiesof illegal armed groups in the conflict zone, which constitutes a constant threat tothe peace process;
3. Strongly supports the sustained efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, with the assistance of the Russian Federation, in its capacity as facilitator as well as of the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General and of theOSCE, to promote the stabilization of the situation and the achievement of acomprehensive political settlement, which must include a settlement of the politicalstatus of Abkhazia within the State of Georgia;
4. Recalls the intention of the Special Representative to submit the draft paper on the question of the distribution of constitutional competences between Tbilisi and Sukhumi as a basis for meaningful negotiations, and not as an attempt to impose or dictate any specific solution to the parties;
5. Stresses the importance of early submission to the parties of the paper asa starting point and significant catalyst for negotiations on a comprehensive political settlement, and deeply regrets that the Special Representative of the Secretary-General has not been in a position to do so;
6. Stresses also the need to accelerate work on the draft protocol on the return of the refugees to the Gali region and measures for economic rehabilitation,as well as on the draft agreement on peace and guarantees for the prevention and forthe non-resumption of hostilities;
7. Calls upon the parties, in particular the Abkhaz side, to undertake immediate efforts to move beyond the impasse and to engage into negotiations onthe core political questions of the conflict and all other outstanding issues in theUnited Nations-led peace process;
8. Welcomes the documents signed at the Yalta meeting on confidence-building measures in March 2001 (S/2001/242), and urges the Georgian and Abkhazsides to implement the proposals agreed in those documents in a purposeful andcooperative manner;
9. Calls upon the parties to resume their work in the Coordinating Counciland its relevant mechanisms as soon as possible;
10. Urges the parties to work together, through more effective use of existing arrangements within the Coordinating Council mechanisms, in order to clarify the incidents of 8, 9 and 22 July 2001, bring about the release of the hostages still being held and bring the perpetrators to justice;
11. Reaffirms the unacceptability of the demographic changes resulting fromthe conflict, and reaffirms also the inalienable right of all refugees and internally displaced persons affected by the conflict to return to their homes in secure anddignified conditions, in accordance with international law and as set out in the Quadripartite Agreement of 4 April 1994 (S/1994/397, annex II);
12. Further urges the parties, in this context, to address urgently and in a concerted manner, as a first step, the undefined and insecure status of spontaneous returnees to the Gali district, which remains an issue of serious concern;
13. Welcomes measures undertaken by the Government of Georgia, the United Nations Development Programme, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Office for the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Bank to improve the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons to develop their skills and to increase their self-reliance with full respect fortheir inalienable right to return to their homes in secure and dignified conditions;
14. Recalls with satisfaction the joint assessment mission to the Gali district,carried out under the aegis of the United Nations, and looks forward to a discussionby the parties of practical steps to implement the mission’s recommendations;
15. Deplores all violations of the Moscow Agreement of 14 May 1994 on a Ceasefire and Separation of Forces (S/1994/583, annex I), and notes with particularconcern the military exercises conducted by both parties in June and July 2001 inviolation of the Moscow Agreement;
16. Expresses its concern at the disturbing tendency by the parties to restrict the freedom of movement of UNOMIG, thereby hindering the ability of the Mission To fulfil its mandate, urges both sides to return immediately to full compliance withthe Moscow Agreement, which remains a cornerstone of the United Nations peace effort, and calls upon the parties to ensure the security and freedom of movement ofUnited Nations and other international personnel;
17. Recalls that the Georgian and the Abkhaz sides bear the primaryresponsibility for the security of UNOMIG, the CIS peacekeeping force and other international personnel and for full compliance with all security arrangements agreed between them to preclude any further aggravation of the situation, and urgesboth parties to bring to justice the perpetrators of all hostage-taking incidents,particularly the abduction of two UNOMIG military observers in the Kodori Valleyon 10 December 2000;
18. Reminds the Georgian side in particular to uphold its commitment to puta stop to the activities of illegal armed groups crossing into Abkhazia, Georgia, fromthe Georgian-controlled side of the ceasefire line;
19. Welcomes UNOMIG keeping its security arrangements under constant review in order to ensure the highest possible level of security for its staff;
20. Decides to extend the mandate of UNOMIG for a new period terminatingon 31 January 2002, subject to a review by the Council of the mandate of UNOMIGin the event of any changes that may be made in the mandate or in the presence ofthe CIS peacekeeping force, and expresses its intention to conduct a thoroughreview of the operation at the end of its current mandate, in the light of steps taken by the parties to achieve a comprehensive settlement;
21. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to keep the Council regularly informed and to report three months from the date of the adoption of this resolution on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia, and requests also the Secretary-General to provide for a briefing within three months on the progress of the political settlement,including on the status of the draft paper his Special Representative intends tosubmit to the parties as referred to in paragraph 4 above;
22. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.
Adopted by the Security Council at its 4353rd meeting, on 31 July 2001.
