Intervention by Estonia at the UN Human Rights Council 35th Session under Item 10 oral report about Georgia
21.06.2017
UN Human Rights Council 35th Session
Intervention by ESTONIA
Item 10 – General Debate. Oral report of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights on Georgia
Geneva, 21st
June 2017
Mr President,
Mr High
Commissioner,
Estonia
aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. We would like
to thank the director of the field operations and technical cooperation
division of the OHCHR for the oral update on the follow-up to the resolution on
Cooperation with Georgia, which we fully support.
We express
our concern over the recent developments in the occupied territories of
Georgia, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The humanitarian and human
rights situation remains worrisome. Restricting the freedom of movement in
Abkhazia by closing two crossing-points in the lower part of Gali region causes
the people further disruptions to their everyday lives. Forced
re-naturalization of Georgian citizens and imposing several restrictions on the
right to education in native language, as well as neglecting social and
economic rights, demonstrates how the de facto authorities consistently
violate the fundamental rights and freedoms of people living on both sides of
the administrative boundary line.
We call on
the de facto authorities to permit
the staff of the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) and other
international humanitarian and human rights organizations full access to the
Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Furthermore,
Estonia condemns the so-called Presidential elections and referendum on
amending the name of the Georgian occupied region of South-Ossetia that took place
on the 9th of April. We find those actions illegal. Estonia does not
recognize the outcome of the elections and they do not change the status of
these territories nor legitimise the illegal occupation. These steps undermine
efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and therefore damage
security and stability in the region. Estonia reaffirms its resolute support
for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its
internationally recognized borders - Abkhazia and South-Ossetia are integral
parts of Georgia.
Finally, we
would like to ask the OHCHR, what more could be done to enable independent
human rights monitoring in the whole territory of Georgia?
Thank you.
 
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