REGULATION On the Joint Control Commission for the Settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian Conflict

The Joint Control Commission (JCC) was formed and will act in accordance with the Agreement of 24 June 1992 on the principles for settling the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, and with the minutes of JCC meetings, with the aim of ensuring the monitoring of the ceasefire through the withdrawal of armed formations, the dissolution of self-defense forces, and the assurance of a security regime in the zone of conflict, as well as through the maintenance of peace, the prevention of a renewal of military actions, and the carrying out of coordination of the joint activities of the parties for the stabilization of the situation, for the political settlement of the conflict, for economic restoration of the afflicted zones, and for the return and reestablishment of refugees and forced resettlers.

1. The  Joint  Control  Commission  is  the  permanently operational organ of the four sides which are  taking part in the settlement  of   the  conflict   and  the   liquidation of   its consequences.  The  highest organizational instance of  the Joint Control  Commission will be  the sessions of  the plenipotentiary representatives of the  sides in the person of the  chiefs of the representation offices of the parties and of other members of the JCC.

2. On the staff of the Joint Control Commission, there will be special  representatives (at  the discretion  of the  parties) named by the state organs  of the parties, empowered to implement coordinated  decisions  on  all  questions  about the  full-scale settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.

3. The CSCE Mission in Georgia will  take part in the work of the JCC.

4. Various  international  organizations  can  assist  the activity of the JCC.

5. The following functions  and tasks are assigned  to the Joint Control Commission:

a) monitoring of  the implementation of  the agreement and understanding of the sides on the settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, the drafting of proposals, and the adoption of purposeful measures for carrying them through;

b)  working  out and  implementation  of  measures for

creating conditions for the resolution of political, military (peacekeeping), law enforcement, economic, humanitarian, informational, and other problems;

c)  help  in the further development of  dialogue and in promotion of a political settlement of the conflict;

d)  participation in  elaborating and realizing  complex measures, affirmed by the parties, for the return, reception, and reestablishment of refugees (forcibly resettled persons) with the collaboration  of  the Office  of  the UN  High  Commissioner for Refugees.

e)     examination  and  assistance   for. the  practical realization  of economic rehabilitation  in the districts  in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict;

f) organization   of   supervision  concerning   the observation of human  rights and national minorities  in the zone of conflict.

6.The JCC will create the necessary working groups for the implementation  of the above-noted functions and for the solution of tasks on the basic directions of work from among the number of corresponding specialist-representatives of the parties.

7. The  working  groups  will perform  their  work by  the preparation   of  analytical  materials  and  of  drafts  of  JCC decisions,  and by the conduct  of  talks  concerning questions related to  their competency.   In case  of necessity,  they will have the  right to summon  experts to work on  specific questions and   to   demand   and   receive  essential   information  from corresponding state departments and institutions.

8. The conclusions and proposals of the working groups will be examined at JCC sessions for the adoption of final decisions.

9. The coordination  of the activities of  the peacekeeping forces  and of  the  observers designated  by  the parties  falls within the competence  of the Joint Control Commission.   The JCC will  maintain  a  permanent link  with  the  peacekeeping forces present  in  the  zone  of   conflict  and will  take  decisions concerning their future use.

10. On the basis of the mandate in the Agreement on the principles for the settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict and of the minutes of its meetings, the command of the peacekeeping forces will work out and implement necessary measures for the maintenance of peace and law enforcement, for preventing the renewal of combat actions, and for the disarming of illegal militarized formations; and will introduce through an established procedure proposals relating to the operational use and improvement of the organization of the peacekeeping forces in the zone of conflict.

11. The  Joint Control Commission will  examine and evaluate the situation evolving in  the zone of conflict  on the basis  of data which,  at its request,  will be furnished by  the competent organs of the parties.

12. With the aim of objectively informing the  public, the JCC will  present  materials to  the mass media concerning  the course îf the settlement process.

13. The  members of the Joint Control  Commission will enjoy diplomatic immunities and privileges in accordance with the norms of international law.

14.   The members  of the Joint  Control Commission have the right of free movement on the territory of  the zone of conflict. The representatives of the parties  on the spot will  assist the members of the JCC and assure their safety.

15. The  sites for conducting plenary sessions  of the Joint Control Commission will be determined by agreement of the sides.

16. The  sessions of the Joint Control  Commission will take place on the basis of need, but not less than once per quarter. By mutual agreement, one of the leaders of the representations of the parties in the JCC will act as chairman of the session. Decisions of the JCC will be taken on the basis of a consensus of the parties.

17. A secretariat will  be  created to carry out  current organizational work and the maintenance of operational  links among the parties.

18. The financing of  the Joint Control Commission will be carried out by the parties on the basis of equal shares.

19. The working language of the Joint Control Commission and the language of its documents will be Russian.

20. The Joint Control Commission will terminate its activity after the achievement of a full-scale settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.

Adopted in accordance with the Agreement on the Further Development of the Process for the Peaceful Settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian Conflict and on the Joint Control Commission of 31 October 1994. Moscow

(Archive of the Staff of the State Minister of Georgia for Conflict Resolution Issues)