UN General Assembly Passes Georgia IDP Resolution

On June 4, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution reiterating the right of return of all displaced persons and refugees to Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia by a vote of 103 in favor, 9 against and 52 abstentions.

In addition to Russia, Belarus, Burundi, Cuba, Mali, Nicaragua, North Korea, Syria and Zimbabwe voted against. The number of “no” votes is 9, like last year, with the same composition of countries, except that Mali joined the “no” vote and Sudan dropped out.

The number of the votes in favor of the resolution increased from 100 to 103 countries compared to last year. Three more countries – Argentina, Armenia and South Africa voted in favor of the resolution this year. Notably, China, with with which Georgia signed the joint statement on the establishment of the strategic partnership in 2023, abstained.

Last year 100 voted in favor, 9 against and 59 abstained

In 2022 95 in favor, including all 27 Member States of the European Union, 12 against, and 56 abstained.

In 2021, 80 nations voted in favor, 14 against, and 70 abstained.

In 2020, 84 countries voted in favor, 13 against, and 78 abstained.

In 2019, 79 countries voted in favor, 15 against, with 57 abstentions.

In 2018, 81 countries voted in favor, 16 against, with 62 abstentions.

To see all past voting records, follow this link.

According to the Georgian MFA press-release during the discussion of the IDP resolution, supporting statements were made by the delegations of Australia (CANZ – on behalf of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), Lithuania (on behalf of the Nordic/Baltic countries), the European Union, the USA, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Ukraine.

The co-authors/co-sponsors of the resolution include: Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mexico, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu.

This news was updated on June 5, 2:56 pm to include the Georgian MFA press-release.

Georgia has been submitting the IDP resolution to the UN General Assembly since 2008. The resolution condemns the forced demographic changes in the Russian-occupied regions of Georgia, reaffirms the right of internally displaced persons (IDPs), regardless of their ethnicity, to return to their homes in dignity and safety, and stresses the need to respect and protect their property rights. Beyond its humanitarian context, the resolution has practical implications, as it directs the UN Secretary-General to prepare an annual report on the situation of displaced persons in Georgia and on the implementation of the resolution.