At its 79th session in New York, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a landmark resolution initiated by Georgia and co-sponsored by 63 countries, titled “On the Status of Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, Georgia.”

According to Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the resolution received record-breaking support, with 107 countries voting in favor—marking the highest level of backing since the resolution was first introduced in 2008.

The resolution strongly condemns forcible demographic changes in Georgia’s occupied regions and reaffirms the right of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees—regardless of ethnicity—to return to their homes in safety and dignity, with full respect for their property rights.

While rooted in humanitarian principles, the resolution also includes practical mechanisms, notably instructing the UN Secretary-General to produce an annual report on its implementation. This measure is considered crucial in light of ongoing human rights violations and the absence of international monitoring in the occupied territories.

The resolution further calls on participants in the Geneva International Discussions (GID) to redouble efforts to improve security and human rights conditions in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region, which are necessary steps for enabling the safe return of displaced persons.

Support for the resolution has continued to grow in recent years, with increasing international co-sponsorship across regions. During the June 3 session, it received vocal backing from representatives of the European Union, United Kingdom, Lithuania (on behalf of the Baltic and Nordic countries), Canada (on behalf of Australia and New Zealand), and Japan.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry expressed deep gratitude to the supporting nations, stating that their endorsement reaffirms the universal right of return for displaced persons and reflects strong international solidarity. “This support reinforces Georgia’s efforts to uphold the rights and dignity of IDPs and refugees,” the ministry noted.

List of Co-Sponsoring Countries:

The resolution was co-sponsored by a broad coalition of countries from Europe, the Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, including:
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, United States, New Zealand, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Guatemala, Denmark, United Kingdom, Estonia, Spain, Vanuatu, Turkey, Japan, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Cape Verde, Canada, Kiribati, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, France, Georgia, Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Hungary, Ukraine, Finland, Fiji, Croatia, Sweden, Czech Republic, North Macedonia, and Djibouti.