'Substantive progress' towards conflict settlement urged.

The Security Council on 25 April, in noting with deep concern the "continued failure of the parties to achieve a comprehensive political settlement" of the conflict in Abkhazia--a small Black Sea region of Georgia--called upon them, in particular the Abkhaz side, to "achieve substantive progress without further delay".

In a statement (S/PRST/1996/20) by Council President Juan Somavia of Chile, it also noted the "adverse impact" of this failure on the humanitarian situation and economic development in the region, and stressed that the primary responsibility for achieving a comprehensive political settlement "rests upon the parties themselves".

The Council noted the important contribution of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), established under resolution 858 (1993) of 24 August 1993, and the Collective Peace-Keeping Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to the stabilization of the situation in the zone of conflict.

Deep concern was expressed at the deterioration in security conditions in the Gali region, which had a negative effect on UNOMIG's ability to meet its mandated tasks. The Council condemned mine laying in that region, which had resulted in loss of life, including the 9 March killing of Lt. Col. Muhammed Hussain of Bangladesh, a UNOMIG military observer. "Such mine laying should cease", it stated.

While expressing its support for the Secretary-General's efforts to find ways of improving the observance of human rights in the region, the Council remained "deeply concerned at the continued obstruction of the return of the refugees and displaced persons by the Abkhaz authorities", which was "totally unacceptable".

Stalemate continues

Despite many months of vigorous efforts and intensive negotiations by the Russian Federations as facilitator, neither side had signed the draft protocol on the principal elements of a settlement of the Abkhaz conflict, "mainly because of continued disagreement over the political status of Abkhazia", Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali reported (S/1996/284) on 15 April. "While this stalemate continues, there can be no significant improvement in the situation of displaced persons and refugees, whose plight is a cause of great concern", he said.

Although the Abkhaz leadership now recognized that Abkhazia would be "part of a single Georgian State within the boundaries of the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic as at 21 December 1991", which would be federative in nature, "pronounced differences remain over the constitutional definition of the Georgian State", the Secretary-General noted.

The Georgian side, he went on, wanted the draft to reflect that Georgia was "one single federal State within which Abkhazia enjoys certain state powers and rights". The Abkhaz side demanded that it describe the State as a "union which came about as the result of a treaty between two subjects of equal status under international law", Mr. Boutros-Ghali pointed out.

Even if the draft protocol was signed in the near future, it seemed unlikely that it would clearly define Abkhazia's political status, he observed. However, it would serve as a framework for future negotiations and expert discussions, not only on constitutional issues, but also in other areas, such as banking, finance, transport, communications, public policy and social and military affairs.

"It is in this planning for the implementation phase that I see an important role for the United Nations", the Secretary-General stated. Such involvement would be "closely synchronized" with the efforts of the Russian Federation and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), he said.

The Secretary-General also reported that the Abkhaz authorities had agreed with a proposed programme for the protection and promotion of human rights in Abkhazia. This programme is to be carried out by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in cooperation with the OSCE.