In a joint statement twelve Russia and twelve Georgian non-governmental organizations (NGO) called on the participants of the Geneva talks, which started on October 15, “to make human rights the top priority of international efforts to regulate the conflict.”
“Violations of human rights and international humanitarian law have been committed by all sides of the conflict and the civilian population has suffered the most,” the statement reads. “We call on the participants of the talks to publicly acknowledge the fundamental right of all persons displaced by the conflict to voluntary return in safety and dignity to their homes. The talks should specifically address the implementation of the right to return and define concrete steps to be taken in this regard.”
The twenty four Russian and Georgian NGOs met last week in Budapest at a conference aimed at, as organizers said, “developing Russian-Georgian dialogue.”
The NGOs included: Human Rights Priority (Georgia); Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association; Open Society Georgia Foundation (Georgia); Civil Development Agency (Georgia); Civil Council (Georgia); New Generation Initiative (Georgia); Union 21 Century (Georgia); International Center on Conflict and Negotiations (Georgia); Georgia for NATO (Georgia); Economical Policy Research Centre (Georgia); Institute for Polling and Marketing (Georgia); Curatio International Foundation (Georgia); SOVA Center for Information and Analysis (Russia); Moscow Helsinki Group; Center Demos (Russia); Antiwar Club (Russia); Center for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights (Russia); Civic Assistance Committee (Russia); Memorial Human Rights Center (Russia); Movement for Human Rights (Russia); Public Verdict Foundation (Russia); Soldiers Mothers Committee (Russia); Nonviolence International (Russia); Youth Human Rights Movement (Russia).
