"Statements supporting Georgia were made at the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports the news.
"In Geneva, within the framework of the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, which plans to adopt a resolution on the occupied territories of Georgia -"Cooperation with Georgia," debate took place, during which the European Union, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, France, the United Kingdom, and Greece made supportive comments regarding Georgia.
The delegations welcomed Georgia's close cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the progress made in human rights protection in the country. They expressed concern over the humanitarian conditions and human rights in the Abkhazian and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia during the COVID-19 pandemic. The delegations condemn the placement of the illegal artificial barriers by the Russian occupation forces and the imposition of additional restrictions on freedom of movement. The speakers expressed concern over various forms of discrimination against ethnic Georgian population in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia, violation of the right to life, deprivation of liberty, illegal detention, violation of property rights and health rights, violations and restrictions on education in their mother tongue, which prevents further progress in the international discussions in Geneva.
Particular attention got paid to the restriction of freedom of movement, including the refusal of emergency medical evacuation from Tskhinvali/South Ossetia, which, especially during COVID-19, further aggravates the life of the population, affecting their health and rights.
At the same time, the speakers stressed the need for United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and International Human Rights mechanisms regarding the occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali to monitor the situation, and called on the Russian Federation to respect international law and ensure immediate and unconditional access to international human rights mechanisms in the occupied regions of Georgia," reads the statement published by the agency.
Today, the resolution is being voted on within the framework of the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council. Georgian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lasha Darsalia, will address the Council through video conference.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, work of the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council got suspended on March 13 and resumed on June 15 after a three-month pause.
The requirements of the UN and the OSCE do not meet the needs of another country in the Caucasus, Azerbaijan, whose territories have been subject to a number of resolutions. The issue of IDPs, whose quantity exceeds million, is also a problem.
