STATEMENT on the issue of refugees and displaced persons

1. Having discussed the implementation of the Quadripartite Agreement on Voluntary Return of Refugees and Displaced Persons of 4 April 1994, the representatives of the UNO, Russian Federation and the CSCE state that as a result of the intensive work of the UNOMIG, Quadripartite Commission and the effort of the PKF of the CIS in October of this year the organized return of refugees and displaced persons to Gali District of Abkhazia has started.

2. At the same time the slow pace of repatriation and artificial impediments to the return of refugees and displaced persons is the subject of deep concert.  Even the small quotas of return are not regularly used due to the lack of relevant organizational and preparatory work among refugees and displaced persons.

3. We firmly condemn inadmissible procrastination of the return of refugees and displaced persons, terrorist acts and armed provocations in the security zone of the conflict.

4.  We consider necessary:

- to speed up the discussion of the applications of refugees and displaced persons; to assure the return of not less than 3,000 people before 1 January 1995;

- to work on registration of spontaneous returnees (according to the estimation about 20000 people); to provide them economic, medical and other humanitarian assistance;

- to learn the possibility of additional measures aimed at securing the protection of returnees and strengthening of public order;

- to call upon the sides to prevent penetration of any armed groups and formations to the security zone that terrorizes the population and commit attacks to the peace keeping forces;

- to foster information campaign among refugees and displaced persons aimed at encouraging voluntary return in compliance with the Quadripartite Agreement signed on 4 April 1994;

- to endorse time-table of return of refugees and displaced persons in Gali district for 1995 at the next meeting of the Quadripartite Commission;

- to secure continuity of activities of the local Quadripartite Committees and creation the Groups for Security and Development in the Gali District.

5. We appeal to the UNOMIG to enlarge the number of its personnel in the conflict zone, extend the scope of material aid to the refugees.

6. We call upon the World Community to increase its contribution to the humanitarian assistance to the population and the regions affected in time of war.

7. We anticipate that the conflicting sides will do everything in their power for early and mass return of refugees and displaced persons on the basis of previous agreements.

Special Representative of the UN Secretary - General E. Brunner

Personal Representative of the President of Russian Federation B. Pastukhov

From the CSCE R. Toskano

Geneva, 18 November 1994.

(Archieve of the Special Represantative of UNO Secretary-General to Georgia)