INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

Internationally-Brokered Ceasefires and A Peace Plan

Since 1991, the internationally community has repeatedly negotiated ceasefires to stop outbreaks of violence between Georgia and it's South Ossetian minority since 1991.

Following the August 2008 conflict, the United Nations Security Council encouraged a ceasefire, which led the Nicolas Sarkozy, President-in-Office of the European Union (and President of France), brokering a ceasefire among Georgia, Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. This 6-point peace plan included:

• No more use of force
• End of military hostilities
• Access to humanitarian aid
• Georgia's armed forces to withdraw to their pre-conflict positions
• Russia's armed forces to withdraw to their pre-conflict positions, upon the arrival of EU Monitors
• Initiating international debate on the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and ways to ensure long-term peace

Post-Conflict Monitoring

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the UN Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), and the European Union (EU) have all taken part in monitoring the peace plan process and its enforcement in Georgia. A key aspect of this was ensuring that Russian military forces were withdrawn to their pre-conflict positions in accordance with the peace plan. The EU Monitors arrived at the beginning of October 2008 and will remain until at least October 2009.
The OSCE mandate for military monitors ended in June 2009.

Provision of Military Support

NATO ships docked in Georgian ports briefly following the August 2008 conflict to deliver humanitarian aid, although Russia claimed that this was an attempt to deliver military equipment to Georgia. In the past several years, NATO has carried out military training exercises in Georgia, which Russia considers to be blatant provocation.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Russia has been accused of illegally funnelling military weapsons through the Roki Tunnel to South Ossetian separatists. During the August 2008 Conflict, Russia provided South Ossetia with substantial military transportation and weaponry arms as well as troops.

Human Rights Tracking and Humanitarian Aid

Ongoing instability in Georgia is exacebated by the presence of 150,000+ internally displaced persons, extensive human rights violations, and the massive need for food, water, medicine and other basics. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both report that all parties have committed serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

Follwing the August 2008 conflict, Georgia denied international aid agencies access to South Ossetia. Despite widespread international commitments of humanitarian aid to the region, it took months before access to South Ossetia was possible for most humanitarian organizations.

Georgia has chosen to facilitating the return of IDPs itself, but the process is progressing slowly.