VZCZCXYZ0004
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #9193 1060116
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 150110Z APR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI IMMEDIATE 0000

UNCLAS STATE 039193 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNSC GE PREL PBTS
 
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE:  UNOMIG MANDATE RENEWAL 
 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an action message.  USUN is authorized to vote 
to approve the UNOMIG resolution in para 2 below. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Begin resolution text. 
 
The Security Council, 
 
PP1     Recalling all its relevant resolutions 
including resolution 1781 of 15 October 2007 (S/RES/1781); 
 
PP2     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); 
 
PP3     Reiterating the importance of maintaining the 
separation of forces and the preservation of the 
ceasefire; 
 
PP4     Supporting the sustained efforts of the 
Secretary-General and of his Special Representative with 
 
SIPDIS 
the assistance of the Group of Friends of the 
Secretary-General as well as the Russian Federation in its 
 
SIPDIS 
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; 
 
PP5     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; 
 
PP6     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; 
 
PP7     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; 
 
PP8     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; 
 
¶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 
 
SIPDIS 
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 cease-fire 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 fulfil within a reliable timeframe 
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. 
 
End resolution text. 
RICE