Georgia and Russia: the humanitarian situation in the conflict- and war-affected areas

Recommendation 2008 (2013)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 23 January 2013 (5th Sitting) (see Doc. 13083, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Ms Acketoft). Text adopted by the Assembly on 23 January 2013 (5th Sitting).

Thesaurus

1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers to its Resolution 1916 (2013) on Georgia and Russia: the humanitarian situation in the conflict- and war-affected areas.

2. It notes in particular that the emergency needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees have been taken care of but there remain major humanitarian challenges concerning the return of IDPs and the provision of durable housing and livelihoods for them. Security continues to be an important issue and access across the administrative boundary line (ABL) is one of the most important factors affecting the lives of those living on both sides of this line.

3. The Assembly believes that the Council of Europe has a role to play in improving the humanitarian situation in the conflict-affected areas and welcomes the activities already being carried out by the Organisation which contribute to maintaining an open dialogue and building confidence in the region.

4. In addition to encouraging the Committee of Ministers to continue its current confidence-building measures, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

4.1 provide education expertise to strengthen mother tongue education, in particular in the Gali region, taking into account the needs of all linguistic groups including Georgian, Abkhazian and others;

4.2 provide assistance to the Georgian authorities to help ensure the successful integration of resettled IDPs in their new communities, bearing in mind that integration is always a two-way process;

4.3 provide support for tackling domestic violence and assisting its victims, taking into account the effect that the conflict has had on this phenomenon and the problems and needs noted in relation to the conflict-affected population;

4.4 use its political standing to bring about improved access across the ABL. This, perhaps more than any other measure, has the prospect of improving the daily lives of all those affected by the conflict.