Security Council resolution 1781 (2007) [on settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict and extension of the mandate of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)]
Symbol: S/RES/1781(2007)
Date: 2007-10-15
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/62 [88] UN OBSERVER MISSION IN GEORGIA
S/62 [87] GEORGIA SITUATION
Subjects: Friends of the Secretary-General on Georgia|UN Observer Mission in Georgia|UN. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Georgia|INTERNAL SECURITY|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|ABKHAZIA (GEORGIA)|GEORGIA|GEORGIA SITUATION|DISPUTE SETTLEMENT|SOVEREIGNTY|PRINCIPLES|NEGOTIATION|CEASEFIRES|TREATY COMPLIANCE|CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES|ARMED INCIDENTS|CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION|DISPLACED PERSONS|GEORGIAN REFUGEES|CODES OF CONDUCT|TROOP-CONTRIBUTING STATES|CRIME PREVENTION|MILITARY DISCIPLINE|REPORT PREPARATION
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: BELGIUM
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: CONGO
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GHANA
vote: yes
country: INDONESIA
vote: yes
country: ITALY
vote: yes
country: PANAMA
vote: yes
country: PERU
vote: yes
country: QATAR
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SLOVAKIA
vote: yes
country: SOUTH AFRICA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                  S/RES/1781 (2007)
               Security Council                                                Distr.: General
                                                                               15 October 2007




               Resolution 1781 (2007)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 5759th meeting on
               15 October 2007

                    The Security Council,
                    Recalling all its relevant resolutions including resolution 1752 of 13 April
               2007 (S/RES/1752),
                    Welcoming the reports of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United
               Nations Observer Mission in Georgia of 18 July 2007 (S/2007/439) and 4 October
               2007 (S/2007/588),
                     Noting with serious concern all recent armed incidents that have afflicted the
               conflict resolution process in Georgia, deploring in particular those in which lives
               were lost, and reiterating the importance of maintaining the separation of forces and
               the preservation of the ceasefire,
                    Supporting the sustained efforts of the Secretary-General and of his Special
               Representative with the assistance of the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General
               as well as the Russian Federation in its 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,
                     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,
                     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,
                     Regretting the continued lack of trust between the two sides, and underlining
               the importance of constructive goodwill and respect for each other’s concerns,
                    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;

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                     2.   Reaffirms its strong support for UNOMIG, calls upon the parties to
               cooperate fully with the mission, deems it necessary to strengthen the mission’s
               observation capacity as recommended by UNOMIG in the “Joint Fact-Finding
               Group Report on The Rocket Firing Incident in the upper Kodori valley on
               11 March 2007” as well as in the Secretary-General’s Report S/2007/588 of
               4 October 2007, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to explore options
               for the implementation of those recommendations and to inform the Council on
               progress;
                    3.   Calls on the Georgian side to ensure that the situation in the upper
               Kodori valley is in line with the Moscow agreement on ceasefire and separation of
               forces of 14 May 1994; and calls on the Abkhaz side to exercise restraint in
               connection with the Georgian commitments with regard to the Kodori valley;
                     4.   Expresses its serious concern with the ongoing numerous violations of
               the ceasefire and separation of forces regime in the Zone of Conflict;
                    5.     Expresses serious concern over the incidents that have taken place within
               and outside the Zone of Conflict as observed by UNOMIG and reflected in the
               reports of the Secretary-General of 18 July and 4 October 2007, including those on
               11 March 2007 and 20 September 2007;
                     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, and to comply fully with previous agreements
               regarding ceasefire and non-use of violence;
                     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.    Urges the continued active engagement of both sides within the Joint
               Fact-Finding Group and, in this context, expressing its support for the “Joint Fact-Finding Group Report on The Rocket Firing Incident in the upper Kodori valley on
               11 March 2007”, and endorses the recommendations made by UNOMIG in the
               report;
                     9.   Welcomes the commitment given by both sides during the meeting
               chaired by the United Nations in Bonn on 27 and 28 June 2007 to resume regular
               consultations within the Quadripartite meetings, and urges both sides to finally fulfil
               this commitment;
                    10. Calls upon the parties to further 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, including the safe and
               dignified return of refugees and internally displaced persons;
                    11. Renews its support for confidence-building measures proposed by the
               Group of Friends of the Secretary-General and endorsed through resolution 1752 of
               13 April 2007, and, in the conviction that they will serve the development of broader
               and unbiased contacts between the communities of the divided country, urges 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



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           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 the deployment of UNOMIG police in Gali and the
           cooperation of the Abkhaz side, and calls for a further deepening of this
           cooperation;
                 14. 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;
                 15. 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;
                 16. Welcomes existing and encourages further contacts between
           representatives of civil society, and appeals to both sides to promote without
           reservation the active engagement of citizens and officials in such contacts;
                 17. 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;
                18. 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;
                19. Decides to extend the mandate of UNOMIG for a new period terminating
           on 15 April 2008;
                 20. Requests the Secretary-General to make use of this mandate in order to
           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;
                21. Strongly supports the efforts of the Special Representative of the
           Secretary-General and calls on the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General to
           continue giving him their steadfast and unified support;
                22.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.



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