RESOLUTION 1393 (
The Security Council,
Recalling all its relevant resolutions, in
particular resolution 1364 (2001) of
Having considered the report of the
Secretary-General of
Recalling the conclusions of the
Recalling the relevant principles contained in the
Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel adopted on
Recalling its condemnation of the shooting down of
a helicopter of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) on 8
October 2001, which resulted in the death of the nine people on board, and
deploring the fact that the perpetrators of that attack have still not been
identified,
Stressing that the continued lack of progress on
key issues of a comprehensive settlement of the conflict in
Welcoming the important contributions made by
UNOMIG and the Collective Peacekeeping Forces of the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS peacekeeping force) in stabilizing the situation in the
zone of conflict, and stressing its attachment to the close cooperation
existing between them in the performance of their respective mandates,
1. Welcomes the report of
the Secretary-General of
2. Commends and strongly supports the sustained
efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, with the
assistance of the Russian Federation in its capacity as facilitator as well as
of the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General and of the OSCE, to promote
the stabilization of the situation and the achievement of a comprehensive
political settlement, which must include a settlement of the political status
of Abkhazia within the State of
3. Welcomes and supports the finalization of the
document on “Basic Principles for the Distribution of Competences between
Tbilisi and Sukhumi” and of its letter of transmittal, with the contribution
and the full support of all members of the Group of Friends, and supports the
efforts of the Special Representative on the basis of these documents which are
positive elements for launching the peace process between the sides;
4. Recalls that the purpose of these documents is
to facilitate meaningful negotiations between the parties, under the leadership
of the United Nations, on the status of Abkhazia within the State of
5. Further recalls that the process of negotiation
leading to a lasting political settlement acceptable to both sides will require
concessions from bothsides;
6. Strongly urges the parties, in particular the
Abkhaz side, to receive the document and its transmittal letter in the near
future, to give them full and open consideration, and to engage into
constructive negotiations on their substance without delay thereafter, and
calls on others having influence with the parties to promote this outcome;
7. Calls on the parties to spare no efforts to
overcome their ongoing mutual mistrust;
8. Condemns violations of the provisions of the
Moscow Agreement of
9. Welcomes and strongly supports, in this regard,
the protocol signed by the two sides on 17 January 2002 regarding the situation
in the Kodori Valley, calls for its full and expeditious implementation, in
particular by the Georgian side, but also specifically urges the Abkhaz side to
honour its undertaking not to take advantage of the withdrawal of Georgian
troops, recognizes the legitimate security concerns of the civilian populations
in the area, calls on the political leaders in Tbilisi and Sukhumi to observe
security agreements, and further calls on them publicly to dissociate
themselves from militant rhetoric and demonstrations of support for military
options and for the activities of illegal armed groups;
10. Urges the parties to ensure the necessary
revitalization of the peace process in all its major aspects, to resume their
work in the Coordinating Council and its relevant mechanisms, to build on the
results of the Yalta meeting on confidence-building measures in March 2001
(S/2001/242), and to implement the proposals agreed on that occasion in a
purposeful and cooperative manner;
11. Expresses its deep dismay at the lack of
progress on the question of the refugees and internally displaced persons,
reaffirms the unacceptability of the demographic changes resulting from the
conflict, reaffirms also the inalienable right of all refugees and internally
displaced persons affected by the conflict to return to their homes in secure
and dignified conditions, in accordance with international law and as set out
in the Quadripartite Agreement of 4 April 1994 (S/1994/397, annex II), recalls
that the Abkhaz side bears a particular responsibility to protect the returnees
and to facilitate the return of the remaining displaced population, and
welcomes the measures undertaken by the United Nations Development Programme,
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Office
for the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs to improve the situation of
refugees and internally displaced persons, to develop their skills and to
increase their selfreliance, with full respect for their inalienable right to
return to their homes in secure and dignified conditions;
12. Urges the parties to implement the
recommendations of the joint assessment mission to the Gali district, carried
out under the aegis of the United Nations, calls in particular on the Abkhaz
side to improve law enforcement involving the local population and to address
the lack of instruction in their mother tongue for the ethnic Georgian
population;
13. Welcomes the rehabilitation programmes
initiated with the cooperation of the parties to serve displaced persons and
returnees on both sides of the ceasefire line;
14. Calls on the parties to take all necessary steps
to identify those responsible for the shooting down of a UNOMIG helicopter on 8
October 2001 and to bring them to justice, expresses also its concern at the
disturbing tendency by the parties to restrict the freedom of movement of
UNOMIG, thereby hindering the ability of the Mission to fulfil its mandate,
including through effective patrolling, and underlines that it is the primary
responsibility of both sides to provide appropriate security and to ensure the
freedom of movement of UNOMIG, the CIS peacekeeping force and other
international personnel;
15. Reminds the Georgian side in particular to
uphold its commitment to put an end to the activities of illegal armed groups
crossing into
16. Welcomes constant review by UNOMIG of its
security arrangements in order to ensure the highest possible level of security
for its staff;
17. Decides to extend the mandate of UNOMIG for a
new period terminating on 31 July 2002, and to review the mandate of UNOMIG
unless the decision on the extension of the presence of the CIS peacekeeping
force is taken by 15 February 2002, and, in this respect, notes that on 31
January 2002 the Georgian authorities agreed on the extension of the mandate of
the CIS peacekeeping force until the endof June 2002;
18. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to
keep the Council regularly informed and to report three months from the date of
the adoption of this resolution on the situation in
19. Decides to remain actively seized of the
matter.
(www.un.org/docs)