Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations

Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations
The Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations, also commonly and colloquially known as the Commonwealth of Unrecognized States, rarely as CIS-2, is an international organization in Eastern Europe and Western Asia of four breakaway states in the territory of the former Soviet Union, all of which have limited to no recognition from the international community.
History
An agreement on creating the commonwealth was reached by the four separatist states of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria and Artsakh in 2001 at the foreign ministers meeting held in Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh. The Community for Democracy and Human Rights was established on 14 June 2006 in Sukhumi, Abkhazia, by the presidents of three of these states: Sergei Bagapsh representing Abkhazia, Eduard Kokoity representing South Ossetia and Igor Smirnov representing Transnistria. Artsakh, which had been part of the 2001 agreement, left in 2004 but became a member in 2007. All four member states have limited international recognition: Abkhazia and South Ossetia are in the internationally recognized territory of Georgia, Transnistria in Moldova and Artsakh in Azerbaijan. All of them are secured by the presence of Russian military forces.
On 17 June 2007, the four-state Community for Democracy and Peoples' Rights signed in Tiraspol—the capital of Transnistria—the joint Declaration on principles of peaceful and fair settlement of the Georgian–Abkhazian, Georgian–Ossetian, Azeri–Artsakh and Moldovan–Transnistrian conflicts. It calls for barring all types of pressure, such as military deployments, diplomatic isolation, economic blockades, or information wars, during negotiations toward resolution of conflicts. It also calls for external guarantees to eventual political settlements of these conflicts.
On 27 September 2009 three members of the Community for Democracy and Peoples' Rights (all but Artsakh) agreed to abolish the visa regimes for their citizens. The agreement came into effect one month after its ratification by all three parliaments. It lasted for five years, after which it was automatically extended for another five-year term.
As of 2017, the four member states have a combined population of 947,480 people. Abkhazia and South Ossetia have secured recognition from United Nations member states such as Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, Russia and Syria, as well as the Sahrawi Republic. Meanwhile, political leaders of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria have all promised to integrate their economies and perhaps seek membership in the Russian-led Eurasian Union.
Members
(until 31 December 2023)
Administrative centres
Sukhumi, Abkhazia
Stepanakert, Artsakh
Tskhinvali, South Ossetia
Tiraspol, Transnistria
See also
Commonwealth of Independent States
Community of Democratic Choice
Community of Democracies
Eastern Partnership
Eurasian Economic Union
Euronest Parliamentary Assembly
European integration
Foreign relations of Artsakh
GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development
List of active separatist movements in Europe
Politics of Europe
Regions of Europe
Self-determination
South Caucasus
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
References
External links
Community for Democracy and Human Rights – Official Website
Joint Statement by Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Foreign relations of Transnistria
Foreign relations of South Ossetia
Foreign relations of the Republic of Artsakh
Foreign relations of Abkhazia
Organizations established in 2006
2006 establishments in Georgia (country)
International organizations based in Europe
International political organizations
European integration