ÜRO Inimõiguste Nõukogu 35. sessioon
Intervention by ESTONIA
Item 10 – General Debate. Oral report of the United Nations HighCommissioner for Human Rights on Georgia
Genf, 21juuni 2017
Mr President,
Mr HighCommissioner,
Estoniaaligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. We would liketo thank the director of the field operations and technical cooperationdivision of the OHCHR for the oral update on the follow-up to the resolution onCooperation with Georgia, which we fully support.
We expressour concern over the recent developments in the occupied territories ofGeorgia, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The humanitarian and humanrights situation remains worrisome. Restricting the freedom of movement inAbkhazia by closing two crossing-points in the lower part of Gali region causesthe people further disruptions to their everyday lives. Forcedre-naturalization of Georgian citizens and imposing several restrictions on theright to education in native language, as well as neglecting social andeconomic rights, demonstrates how the de facto authorities consistentlyviolate the fundamental rights and freedoms of people living on both sides ofthe administrative boundary line.
We call onthe de facto authorities to permitthe staff of the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) and otherinternational humanitarian and human rights organizations full access to theGeorgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Furthermore,Estonia condemns the so-called Presidential elections and referendum onamending the name of the Georgian occupied region of South-Ossetia that took placeon the 9th of April. We find those actions illegal. Estonia does notrecognize the outcome of the elections and they do not change the status ofthese territories nor legitimise the illegal occupation. These steps undermineefforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and therefore damagesecurity and stability in the region. Estonia reaffirms its resolute supportfor the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within itsinternationally recognized borders – Abkhazia and South-Ossetia are integralparts of Georgia.
Finally, wewould like to ask the OHCHR, what more could be done to enable independenthuman rights monitoring in the whole territory of Georgia?
Thank you.