The consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia

Recommendation 1846 (2008)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 30 September and 2 October 2008 (30th, 34th and 35th Sittings) (see Doc. 11724, report of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), co-rapporteurs: Mr Van den Brande and Mr Eörsi; Doc. 11731, opinion of the Political Affairs Committee, rapporteur: Mr Lindblad; Doc. 11732, opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, rapporteur: Mr Pourgourides; and Doc. 11730, opinion of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population, rapporteur: Mrs Jonker). Text adopted by the Assembly on 2 October 2008 (35th Sitting).

Thesaurus

1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers to its Resolution 1633 (2008) on the consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia in which it welcomed, inter alia, the initiative of the Swedish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers to convene an informal extraordinary meeting of ministers for foreign affairs on 24 September 2008 in order to prepare the response of the intergovernmental sector of the Organisation to the war between Georgia and Russia.

2. The Assembly recalls in this respect the 1994 Declaration of the Committee of Ministers on compliance with commitments accepted by member states of the Council of Europe which refers to the statutory responsibility incumbent upon itself for ensuring full respect of commitments in all member states, without prejudice to other existing procedures, including the activities of the Parliamentary Assembly and conventional control bodies.

3. The Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

3.1 develop an action plan and take concrete measures to respond to the crisis between two member states of the Organisation and, consequently, within the Organisation itself, taking into account the Organisation’s mandate and expertise;

3.2 consider specific action to ensure full respect of commitments undertaken by both Georgia and Russia, including reinforced field presence and a human rights mission on the ground;

3.3 encourage all member states of the Council of Europe to join the United Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions.