S/RES/1781 (2007)
Security Council Distr.: General
15 October 2007
07-54078 (E)
*0754078*
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.