UNOMIG mandate extended: Council calls for progress.

• Position: United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia, United Nations Security Council

Calling upon the Georgian Government and the leaders of Abkhazia --a small Black Sea enclave in Georgia--to "reach substantive progress" in their negotiations the Security Council on 12 January extended the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) until 15 May 1995.

In unanimously adopting resolution 971 (1995), the Council also encouraged Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to continue efforts aimed at achieving a "comprehensive political settlement of the conflict, including on the political status of AbkhazIa, respecting fully the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia".

The parties were also called upon to comply with their commitments under the 4 April 1994 Quadripartite Agreement on the voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons, and the Abkhaz side in particular was urged to "accelerate the process significantly".

The Secretary-General was asked to examine, within the existing UNOMIG mandate, the "possibility of additional steps to contribute to conditions conducive to the safe and orderly return of refugees and displaced persons".

The Council also decided to undertake, an the basis of a report to be submitted by 4 May 1995 and in light of any progress achieved towards a political settlement and the return of refugees and displaced persons, a "thorough review of the situation in Abkhazia, Republic of Georgia".

Deeply concerned over the "lack of progress regarding the return of refugees and displaced persons" and deploring the "continued obstruction" by the Abkhaz authorities, the Council on 17 March said it expected the parties to implement fully their obligations under the Quadripartite Agreement.

A `safe and orderly return' desired

In a statement by its President, Li Zhaoxing of China, the Council--noting that the cooperation between UNOMIG and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was "critical to the safe and orderly return of refugees and displaced persons"--also urged the Abkhaz authorities to agree to a timetable on the basis of that proposed by UNHCR.

It called upon the parties to "provide a...