RESOLUTION 1808
(2008) ADOPTED BY THE UN SECURITY
COUNCIL
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
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
underlining the increased importance of the
meetings in the
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
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
4. Welcomes the renewed commitment given
by both sides during the meeting chaired by the United Nations in
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
9. Reiterates and reaffirms as
fundamentally important the right of return for all the refugees and the
internally displaced persons to
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 StrategicDirections
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 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
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.
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