Doc. 11275
25 April 2007

The situation of Ingush internally displaced persons in North Ossetia

Motion for a recommendation
presented by Mr Cilevičs and others

1.       The humanitarian situation in the North Caucasus has been of particular concern to the Parliamentary Assembly over the past years. In Resolution 1404 (2004) the Assembly stressed the need to deal with humanitarian issues irrespective of political considerations, given that the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) remains very precarious.

2.       The humanitarian operation in the North Caucasus, particularly with regard to the Chechen displaced population, has been carried out on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding concluded between the United Nations and the Government of the Russian Federation in 2000.

3.       Although smaller in scale, the humanitarian situation of Ingushetians who have been displaced from and within North Ossetia following the 1992 conflict in the Prigorodny region, is equally of concern as many IDPs are residing in temporary settlements in substandard conditions, without adequate access to healthcare and humanitarian assistance.

4.       In May 2005, on the initiative of the Permanent Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the South Federal Region and with the involvement of the Interregional Department of the Federal Migration Service, a Plan of Action was devised to resolve the consequences of the Ossetian-Ingush conflict.

5.       The involvement of the Council of Europe, in close cooperation with the authorities of the Russian Federation, may further contribute to resolve this issue.

6.       In view of the above, the Parliamentary Assembly recommends to the Committee of Ministers to study the most effective ways in which the Council of Europe could assist the Russian Federation to resolve some of the most pressing issues with regard to Ingush IDPs from North Ossetia, namely :

-       to facilitate humanitarian assistance;

-       to identify durable solutions;

-       to address problems relating to their property;

-       to develop measures aimed at improving relations between ethnic groups in areas of IDP integration.

Signed ¹:

• CILEVIČS Boriss, Latvia, SOC
• BOUSAKLA Mimount, Belgium, SOC
• DENDIAS Nikolaos, Greece, EPP/CD
• FEDOROV Valeriy, Russian Federation, EDG
• GÜLÇİÇEK Ali Riza, Turkey, SOC
• KESKIN Hakki, Germany, UEL
• LAMBERT, Geert, Belgium, SOC
• MOONEY, Paschal, Ireland, ALDE
• PLATVOET Leo, Netherlands, UEL
• PREDA, Cezar Florin, Romania, EPP/CD
• TEVDORADZE, Elene, Georgia, ALDE
• VERMOT-MANGOLD, Ruth-Gaby, Switzerland, SOC

¹     SOC: Socialist Group
      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
      EDG: European Democratic Group
      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
      NR: not registered in a group