During the reporting period, some cases of looting were accompanied by gratuitous cruelty and violations of the personal integrity of the victims, including women and children. Efforts by the law enforcement organs to stop such crimes have not had tangible results, the Secretary-General continues. The number of abductions for ransom has also increased. Here too, while the perpetrators or their accomplices are apparently known, the actions of the local authorities have not produced results. The Secretary-General states that the general economic situation in Georgia remained relatively stable during the reporting period, but essential structural reforms have not yet been implemented.
Delays continue in the payment of wages and pensions.
The implementation of a successful tax-collection regime and the eradication of corruption have also not yet been achieved. He will report to the Assembly on the additional requirements needed, if any, for the maintenance of the Mission beyond 30 June 2000. According to the Secretary-General, an important step in moving the peace process forward will be for the Coordinating Council and its working groups to continue to convene regularly, in order to provide a forum for both sides to exchange views and resolve specific issues regardless of perceived domestic constraints. The two sides and the international community must find a formula for their return, so as to enable the international community to provide much-needed humanitarian assistance and to facilitate the establishment of proper security conditions. The Secretary-General emphasizes that the importance of concrete security measures, including measures to improve conditions for returnees to the Gali district, should be stressed.