Abstract
S/RES/1808 (2008)
Security Council Distr.: General
15 April 2008
08-30629 (E)
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Resolution 1808 (2008)
Adopted by the Security Council at its 5866th meeting, on
15 April 2008
The Security Council,
Recalling all its relevant resolutions including resolution 1781 of 15 October
2007 (S/RES/1781),
Welcoming the reports of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United
Nations Observer Mission in Georgia of 23 January 2008 (S/2008/38) and 2 April
2008 (S/2008/219),
Reiterating the… [read more] 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 and welcoming the Georgian and Abkhaz
renewed commitment to this process,
Noting that whereas the United Nations and the Group of Friends of the
Secretary-General will continue to support the process of conflict resolution
between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, the primary responsibility to make use of
this support and to implement measures to advance the process, in particular
measures to build confidence, remains with both sides,
Regretting the continued lack of progress in implementing confidence-building
measures, and underlining the importance of constructive goodwill between the
sides and respect for each other’s concerns,
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,
S/RES/1808 (2008)
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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;
2. Reaffirms its strong support for UNOMIG, and again urges the parties to
cooperate fully with the Mission and to actively and sustainably engage in the
political process led by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General; and
welcomes UNOMIG’s continued consultations with the parties on strengthening its
observation capacity;
3. Welcomes the recent improvements in the overall security situation; calls
on both sides to consolidate and broaden those improvements; underlines the need
for a period of sustained stability along the ceasefire line and in the Kodori valley;
and stresses the necessity to keep under close observation the situation in the Upper
Kodori valley which has to be in line with the Moscow agreement on ceasefire and
separation of forces of 14 May 1994;
4. Welcomes the renewed commitment given by both sides during the
meeting chaired by the United Nations in Geneva on 18 and 19 February 2008 to
resume regular consultations within the Quadripartite meetings on security issues
without delay, and urges once more both sides to fulfil finally this commitment;
5. Expresses its concern at any violation of the ceasefire and separation of
forces regime in the Zone of Conflict;
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, to comply fully with previous agreements
regarding ceasefire and non-use of violence, and to maintain the security zone and
the restricted weapons zone free of any unauthorized military activities; and in this
regard recalls the recommendations of the Secretary-General contained in
S/2007/439 and his subsequent reports;
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. 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;
9. 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;
10. Calls upon the parties to 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, and to commit themselves to
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fulfil within a reliable time frame the conditions necessary for the safe, dignified
and swift return of refugees and internally displaced persons;
11. Firmly convinced that the confidence-building measures proposed by the
Group of Friends of the Secretary-General and endorsed through resolution 1752 of
13 April 2007, will serve the development of broader and unbiased contacts between
the communities of the divided country, regrets the lack of progress made with
regard to confidence-building measures and urges again 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
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 existing and encourages further contacts between
representatives of civil society, and appeals to both sides to continue to promote
without reservation the active engagement of citizens and officials in such contacts;
14. 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;
15. 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;
16. Decides to extend the mandate of UNOMIG for a new period terminating
on 15 October 2008;
17. Requests the Secretary-General to make use of this mandate in order to
encourage and 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;
18. Strongly supports the efforts of the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General and encourages the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General to
continue giving him their steadfast and unified support;
19. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter. [^]