The participants of the Geneva International Discussions have just completed their twenty-fifth round. In Working Group I, the participants reviewed the security situation on the ground. Referring to the developments that occurred since the previous round, the co-Chairs welcomed the relative stability and the calm situation that prevailed but noted with concern the effect on the freedom of movement and the livelihood of local population of the continued deployment of fences and other obstacles at different locations along the Administrative Boundary lines. Therefore, the co-Chairs called upon all participants to ensure that these developments are addressed within the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRM) with the aim to find tailored solutions to arising problems.
The participants reiterated the need to resume the Gali IPRM meetings and welcomed the continued good work done within the Ergneti IPRM. They once again exchanged views about the ongoing work on the draft statement of the participants of the Geneva International Discussions on non-use of force and agreed to continue engaging in this process with the view to adopt such a statement in the near future. The participants welcomed the catalogue of best practices and undertakings regarding freedom of movement reached in the two IPRMs as presented by the co-Chairs.
In Working Group II, the participants reviewed the humanitarian situation on the ground. Participants also expressed concern about the humanitarian consequences of the developments that have affected the daily life of the local population along the Administrative Boundary lines. The participants also exchanged views on practical ways to address the issues related to the freedom of movement, missing and detained persons, as well as on some aspects related to the displaced persons.
On the first day, participants took part in an information session entitled “Pragmatic Approaches to Freedom of Movement”.
The participants agreed to hold their next session on 17th -18th December 2013.