United Nations Security Council Resolution 1255 – Georgia

Resolution 1255 (1999)

The Security Council,

Recalling all its relevant resolutions, in particular resolution1225 (1999) of 28 January 1999, and the statement of its President of 7 May 1999(S/PRST/1999/11),

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 20 July 1999(S/1999/805),

Noting the letter of the President of Georgia to the Secretary-General dated 19 July 1999 (S/1999/809, annex),

Stressing that, notwithstanding positive developments on some issues, thelack of progress on key issues of a comprehensive settlement of the conflict inAbkhazia, Georgia, is unacceptable,

Deeply concerned at the continuing volatile situation in the conflict zone,welcoming in this regard the important contributions that the United NationsObserver Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) and the Collective Peacekeeping Forces ofthe Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS peacekeeping force) continue to makein stabilizing the situation in the zone of conflict, noting that the workingrelationship between UNOMIG and the CIS peacekeeping force has been good at alllevels, and stressing the importance of continuing and increasing closecooperation and coordination between them in the performance of their respectivemandates,

Recalling the conclusions of the Lisbon summit of the Organization forSecurity and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) (S/1997/57, annex) regarding the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia,

Reaffirming the necessity for the parties strictly to respect human rights,and expressing its support for the efforts of the Secretary-General to find ways to improve their observance as an integral part of the work towards a comprehensive political settlement,

1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General of 20 July 1999;

2. Demands that the parties to the conflict widen and deepen theircyommitment to the United Nations-led peace process, continue to expand theirdialogue and contacts at all levels and display without delay the necessary willto achieve substantial results on the key issues of the negotiations;

3. Strongly supports the sustained efforts of the Secretary-General andhis Special Representative with the assistance of the Russian Federation in itscapacity as facilitator as well as of the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General and of the OSCE to promote the stabilization of the situation and togive new impetus to the negotiations within the United Nations-led peace processin order to achieve a comprehensive political settlement, and commends thetireless efforts of the retiring Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Liviu Bota, in carrying out his mandate;

4. Emphasizes, in this context, that the readiness and ability of theinternational community to assist the parties depend on their political will toresolve the conflict through dialogue and mutual accommodation and on theiracting in good faith to implement promptly concrete measures towards bringingabout a comprehensive political settlement of the conflict;

5. Underlines the necessity for the parties to achieve an early andcomprehensive political settlement, which includes a settlement on the politicalstatus of Abkhazia within the State of Georgia, which fully respects thesovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationallyrecognized borders, and supports the intention of the Secretary-General and hisSpecial Representative, in close cooperation with the Russian Federation, in itscapacity as facilitator, the OSCE and the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General, to continue to submit proposals for the consideration of the parties onthe distribution of constitutional competences between Tbilisi and Sukhumi aspart of a comprehensive settlement;

6. Considers unacceptable and illegitimate the holding of self-styledelections in Abkhazia, Georgia;

7. Expresses its continuing concern at the situation of refugees and displaced persons, in particular those resulting from the hostilities Of May 1998, reaffirms the unacceptability of the demographic changes resulting from the conflict and the imprescriptible right of all refugees and displaced persons affected by the conflict to return to their homes in secure conditionsin accordance with international law and as set out in the QuadripartiteAgreement of 4 April 1994 on the voluntary return of refugees and displacedpersons (S/1994/397, annex II), and calls upon the parties to address this issueurgently by agreeing and implementing effective measures to guarantee thesecurity of those who exercise their unconditional right to return;

8. Welcomes, in this context, the efforts of the Special Representativeof the Secretary-General to facilitate, as a first step, the safe return ofrefugees and displaced persons to the Gali region, and emphasizes, in thisregard, that the lasting return of the refugees cannot be ensured without concrete results from the bilateral dialogue between the parties which producethe necessary security and legal guarantees;

9. Takes note with appreciation of the agreements reached at the meetingsof 16-18 October 1998 and 7-9 June 1999, hosted respectively by the Governmentsof Greece and Turkey, aimed at building confidence, improving security anddeveloping cooperation, and calls upon the parties to enhance their efforts toimplement those decisions in an effective and comprehensive manner, notably atthe prospective meeting in Yalta at the invitation of the Government of Ukraine;

10. Demands that both sides observe strictly the Moscow Agreement of14 May 1994 on a Ceasefire and Separation of Forces (S/1994/583, annex I), andtakes note with appreciation, in this context, of the substantial progressreported towards setting up a joint investigation mechanism for violations ofthe Agreement, as well as of the greater restraint exercised by the partiesalong the line of separation of forces;

11. Condemns the ongoing activities by armed groups, which endanger the civilian population, impede the work of the humanitarian organizations and seriously delay the normalization of the situation in the Gali region,reiterates its concern regarding the security of UNOMIG, welcomes the implementation of measures in this regard and requests the Secretary-General to keep the security of UNOMIG under constant review;

12. Decides to extend the mandate of UNOMIG for a new period terminating on 31 January 2000, subject to a review by the Council of the mandate of UNOMIG in the event of any changes that may be made in the mandate or in the presence of the CIS peacekeeping force;

13. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to keep the Councilregularly informed and to report three months from the date of the adoption ofthis resolution on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia;

14. Expresses its intention to conduct a thorough review of the operationat the end of its current mandate, in the light of steps taken by the parties to achieve a comprehensive settlement;

15. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Adopted by the Security Council at its 4029th meeting on 30 July 1999.