51st round of the Geneva International Discussions

51st round of the Geneva International Discussions

Rome/Geneva [ENA] The 51st round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) took place in the Palais des Nations on 10-11 December 2020. It is the only negotiating format started off following the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia. It was initially entrusted with the task of implementation of the Protocole d’Accord of 12 August 2008, transmitted by the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union and afterwards

made explicit in more detail on 8 September 2008, during the meeting between the French and Russian Presidents. The EU, the United Nations and the OSCE serve as mediating co-Chairs for these discussions. Meetings take place roughly once every 3 months, in 2 “working groups” – the first one dealing with security matters and the second one focused on the humanitarian aspects of the conflict. The mediation format is unique in bringing together the institutional and political assets of the 3 major international bodies and their various agencies. Nevertheless, while offering immense possibilities theoretically, the mediation process has been constrained by several unsettled ambiguities.

The participants cannot agree as to which conflict is being mediated (that between Russia and Georgia in 2008, pre-existing conflicts in Georgia’s provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia or both), which subsequently complicates the question of who the parties to the conflict are – while Georgia sees Russia as an aggressor and an occupying power, Russia asserts to be a “facilitator” to the GID (alongside the U.S.). The setup and the task of the co-Chairs is further complicated by the fact that Russia, as a major international player, has a veto power in the UN (as a permanent member of the UN Security Council), and Russia (as well as Georgia) can block decisions at the OSCE due to the consensus rule in the OSCE Permanent Council.

Against the backdrop of the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the first and only Geneva International Discussions round that took place in 2020. In the interim, the Co-Chairs held a series of consultations via videoconference and conducted several visits for in-person meetings with the participants. The holding of an in-person GID round re-confirmed the commitment of all participants to the GID process.In this regard, the importance of in-person meetings was noted, as was support for continued dialogue and joint efforts, which are aimed at addressing conflict-related issues and defusing tensions and potential misunderstandings.

The collective efforts of the Co-Chairs allowed participants to better address issues relating to the security and humanitarian situation of conflict-affected populations on the ground. During this 51st GID round, the participants once again met in two separate working groups focused on security and humanitarian issues. The security situation on the ground was assessed as relatively calm and stable. The participants reviewed a number of issues on the agenda, including the situation in the Chorchana-Tsnelisi area, recent detention cases, missing persons, and the importance of conflict-affected populations' access to livelihoods.

Particular focus was given on the one side to the core agenda item of non-use of force and, on the other, on the impact of COVID-19 on the humanitarian situation on the ground. Efforts to address these challenges jointly were positively noted. Participants could not engage on the issues of IDPs and refugees, due to a walkout of some participants. The resumption of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Ergneti with two meetings held this year was welcomed.

The Co-Chairs emphasized the need to resume regular meetings of the Gali IPRM. The Co-Chairs reiterated their call for all participants to increase efforts to build trust and confidence among them, and to ensure constructive cooperation with international humanitarian and human rights organisations.