Displaced from Ossetia conflict need more pragmatism, less politics, says U.N. Representative

GENEVA (10 November 2009) -- “More pragmatism and less politics are needed to improve the situation of the displaced,” said Walter Kaelin, Representative of the Secretary-General of the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, upon his return from a visit to the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia. Kaelin already visited Georgia in October 2008, but had been unable to access the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia at the time.

 

“Flexibility on all sides has allowed me to carry out this visit. I can report that I have enjoyed full access to all places in the South Ossetia that I requested to see. I also had open and frank discussions with key decision-makers on the South Ossetian side and will continue the dialogue with the Georgian Government,” Kaelin said.

 

“It is estimated that 680 houses, in addition to a number of public civilian installations, were destroyed in Tskhinvali during the armed conflict of August 2008 alone. Many villages were affected, too. Lack of shelter is the main problem faced by those displaced within South Ossetia. Reconstruction is progressing far too slowly, Kaelin noted. “Many will have to live through a second winter without having their own roof over their head.”

 

“I also saw several villages, which had an ethnic Georgian population prior to the 2008 conflict, that are now empty and have been systematically destroyed,” Kaelin said, while underlining the importance of taking into account the entire history of conflict and displacement. “I met with ethnic Ossetians, who had been displaced during the first conflict in 1991-1992. They have spent 17 years in collective centres with little hope to find a durable solution to their displacement.”

 

All displaced, whether they were displaced in 1991-1992 or 2008, have the right to return and restitution of their property,” Kaelin said. “Return for everyone regardless of where they live now must be facilitated by both sides in a pragmatic way respecting the rights of internally displaced persons in accordance with the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. In view of the complex property situation in the former Soviet republic and the different waves of displacement we probably need a mechanism with international expertise to effectively address property issues.”

 

Kaelin encouraged both sides to make use of the Geneva discussions and other channels of communication to agree on first steps to alleviate unnecessary hardships for the civilian population, while continuing to work towards a more comprehensive solution. The 9th round of the Geneva discussions, a forum that brings together representatives of the conflict parties and the international community to discuss, among other issues, questions relating to refugees and IDPs, will resume tomorrow.

 

“In Akhalgori (also known as Leningori) I was informed that supplies of gas and often also electricity from the south have been cut off. This makes life for the mixed ethnic Georgian and Ossetian population in the area very difficult. In Znauri district, I talked to old and vulnerable people who have to fend for themselves, because their children had to flee and are now cut off from helping them. The local population should be allowed to pass through the checkpoints, like it is already the case in Akhalgori/Leningori. Family reunification should be fostered.”

 

The Representative of the Secretary-General also called on all sides to show more flexibility in agreeing on access routes for the international community to provide humanitarian assistance and help with the recovery and reconstruction effort. “These are practical arrangements that do not in any way pre-determine political questions. With a minimum will to compromise we could have had an agreement long ago allowing humanitarian organizations to help the most vulnerable to resume normal lives.”

 

Walter Kaelin, professor of law at the University of Bern (Switzerland), has been the Representative of the Secretary General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons since 2004.