Georgia: Meeting under “Any Other Business”
Tomorrow morning (14 August), following the consultations on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Security Council members will discuss the situation in Georgia under “any other business”. France, Japan, Malta, Slovenia, the UK, and the US requested the meeting to mark the 16th anniversary of the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Miroslav Jenča is expected to brief.
Background
Since its independence in 1991, Georgia has faced multiple internal secessionist movements, notably in South Ossetia, Adjaria, and Abkhazia. The population in those regions had historical ties with Russia, and in 1992, conflict erupted as South Ossetia and Abkhazia sought to separate from the newly independent Georgia. In July 1993, following international diplomatic efforts, the parties signed a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement. In August of that year, the Security Council established the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) to monitor the ceasefire.
On 8 August 2008, amid a deterioration in the relationship between Moscow and Tbilisi, hostilities broke out between Russian and Georgian troops in South Ossetia. The conflict ended on 12 August with a ceasefire agreement, which was reached under mounting international pressure. Since 2008, Russia has maintained a military presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and has signed a series of bilateral agreements with the de facto authorities of these regions.
To date, disagreements persist between Russia, on the one hand, and the US and several European countries, on the other hand, regarding the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. While Russia considers these entities independent states, several other member states view them as part of Georgia’s sovereign territory. In November 2011, the European Parliament passed a resolution recognising the two regions as occupied territories.
Georgia applied for EU membership in March 2022 and was granted candidate status in December 2023, with the expectation that it would take the necessary steps outlined in a 17 June 2022 EU Commission opinion document. Several Georgian political actors, including members of the ruling Georgian Dream party, have expressed caution regarding deeper integration with the West, reflecting concerns about the implications of closer alignment with the EU and antagonising Russia.
Informal meetings on Georgia to mark the anniversary of the 2008 war have become an annual practice in the Council since 2019. Following each of these meetings, some Council members, including the US and European members, have held a press stakeout and issued a joint statement, often including some incoming Council members.
Tomorrow’s Meeting
At tomorrow’s meeting, Jenča may refer to the most recent annual report of the UN Country Team in Georgia, published on 28 May. The report notes that, in 2023, the UN extended support to communities along the conflict divide in the regions of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Shida Kartli, provided assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) across Georgia, and offered aid to vulnerable populations in Abkhazia.
Jenča might also highlight the human rights situation in Georgia, particularly concerning a draft law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, adopted by the Georgian parliament on 14 May. The draft law proposed that organisations receiving at least 20 percent of their funding from abroad be designated as foreign agents. Georgia’s opposition condemned this as an attempt to suppress independent media, civil society, and critics of the government, sparking protests that were reportedly met with excessive force. The draft law, which drew criticism from UN special rapporteurs for violating human rights, particularly freedom of association, was vetoed by President Salome Zourabichvili. However, the veto was overturned by the parliament on 28 May, pushing the law forward despite considerable opposition.
In a 2 May statement concerning the protests against the draft law, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed alarm about reports of “unnecessary and disproportionate force” used by law enforcement personnel against demonstrators and media workers in Tbilisi. On 15 May, he regretted the law’s adoption, stating that authorities had ignored warnings from human rights defenders and civil society. Türk urged Georgian authorities to investigate allegations of violence during the protests and to work with civil society to resolve the challenges through an inclusive and rights-centred process.
In a 28 May statement, the EU underscored that the law goes against EU core principles and values, warning that its enactment “will negatively impact Georgia’s EU path”. On 23 May, the US launched a comprehensive review of its bilateral cooperation with Georgia, culminating in the announcement on 31 July that it would pause over $95 million in “assistance that directly benefits the Government of Georgia”. At tomorrow’s meeting, some Council members may express their support for the Georgian people in their pursuit of EU membership and a Euro-Atlantic future.
Several Council members are likely to argue that Russia’s actions in Georgia in 2008 signalled the start of a pattern of aggressive behaviour towards its neighbours. They may reaffirm their support for Georgia’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and condemn Russia’s continued military presence in, and steps toward the annexation of, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These members are expected to call on Russia to reverse its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia’s independence and to fulfil its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement by withdrawing its forces to pre-conflict positions.
Most Council members are expected to urge all parties to intensify efforts towards a lasting peace, recognising the importance of the Geneva International Discussions (GID). Established under the 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement, the GID was launched in October of that year to address the consequences of the Russia-Georgia war. Co-chaired by the EU, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the UN, it convenes representatives from the conflict parties together with the US. The GID aims to address security-related issues as well as humanitarian and socio-economic concerns.
Some members may emphasise the urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian access to all IDPs and refugees in conflict-affected areas of Georgia. They may reference the annual General Assembly resolutions on the status of IDPs and refugees from Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The latest resolution, adopted on 4 June, recognised the right of return of Georgia’s displaced persons and underlined the need for “the development of a timetable to ensure the voluntary, safe, dignified and unhindered return of all internally displaced persons and refugees affected by the conflicts in Georgia to their homes”.
The resolution received 103 votes in favour, nine against, and 53 abstentions. Among Security Council members, Russia voted against it, five abstained (Algeria, China, Mozambique, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and Switzerland), Sierra Leone did not vote, and the remaining eight voted in favour. Prior to the vote, Russia argued that the resolution has “a negative impact on the course of the Geneva discussions”. Switzerland regularly abstains on these resolutions in view of its Georgia-Russia protecting power mandates since 2009. (A protecting power mandate is an arrangement where a neutral state represents the interests of another state in a country where it lacks formal diplomatic representation, typically due to the severing of diplomatic ties.)
Russia is likely to deny accusations of aggressive behaviour towards its neighbouring countries, arguing instead that its cooperation with Abkhazia and South Ossetia is a stabilising factor in the South Caucasus. Russia may blame Western countries for fomenting volatility in those regions. For example, in an 8 August statement, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused the US and its allies of attempting to “make use of inter-regional contradictions with an obvious purpose to heat the situation near Russian borders”.
