Statement by Lithuania on behalf of the Nordic and Baltic countries at the GA meeting on protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development
Madam President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is an honour for me to speak today on behalf of Baltic and Nordic States: Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and my own country Lithuania. Poland associates itself with this statement. The number of internally displaced persons in the world remains alarmingly high with more and more people forced to flee their homes by armed conflicts, violence and human rights violations. We call on the international community to continue seeking sustainable solutions for the displaced persons and to guarantee the protection of their rights under the provisions of international law.
The difficult situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees from Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia in Georgia has been known to the international community for a long time but so far no substantial progress has been achieved with regards to their right to a safe, dignified and voluntary return to their places of origin. The problem has been further deepened by activities of the foreign security forces in control of the occupied regions who continue installing barbed-wire fences and other obstacles along the administrative boundary lines in Georgia. These actions contravene Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and have grave impact on the freedom of movement and other basic human rights of the local population.
We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders.
We fully share and support the objectives of the resolution - the recognition of the right of all refugees and IDPs to return to their homes in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region; the respect of the property rights of those persons; the prohibition of forced demographic changes; humanitarian access for all IDPs, refugees, and other persons living within the conflict affected area; a call on the participants in the Geneva talks to establish favorable security conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified and unimpeded return of IDPs; the development of a timetable for their return; and request for the UN Secretary General to submit a comprehensive report on the implementation of the resolution at the next General Assembly.
The broad and recurring support for the resolution – now for the eighth consecutive year - demonstrates the importance which the international community attaches to this issue. It serves also as a signal for the displaced people that they are not forgotten and that the international community will remain committed in its active support for their plight.
