Human Rights Council 37: Resolution on Georgia
This UK statement was delivered during the 37th session of the Human Rights Council during discussion on the Resolution on Georgia.
The Human Rights Council takes place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva
The UK wishes to thank the delegation of Georgia for its presentation of resolution A/HRC/37/L.27 entitled “Cooperation with Georgia”.
We commend Georgia for its ongoing and constructive cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights through its representation in Tbilisi. Georgia’s recognition of its own ongoing challenges and its willingness to accept assistance from the OHCHR deserve our positive recognition and full support. However, we deeply regret that staff of the Office of the High Commissioner are systematically denied access to Georgia’s regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This concern was specifically cited in the High Commissioner’s Report (A/HRC/36/65) from September last year. The fact that the authorities in control have still not granted the OHCHR access only heightens our sense of alarm about the human rights situation of the people living in these regions. Alleged violations, which include arbitrary detentions, torture and restricted freedom of movement, should be a matter of concern to us all.
The current draft seeks to respond to this concern, in a moderate, practical and human rights-focused fashion, by calling for access to both regions by the OHCHR. It also aims to raise the level of knowledge of, and attention to, the human rights situation there through the provision of reporting by OHCHR to the Council. At its core, this resolution is about access, it is about cooperation, and it is being brought before the Council, once again, by the country concerned. The Council should always support cooperation with the UN’s human rights mechanisms, whether these be the mechanisms of this Council, the treaty bodies, the OHCHR or regional mechanisms.
Furthermore, given the highly troubling reports of violations in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, independent monitoring and reporting is clearly needed and would serve to improve the human rights situation in these regions of Georgia.
The United Kingdom will therefore vote YES on resolution A/HRC/37/L.27 and we call on all members of the Council to joins us in supporting this draft resolution.