Georgia: UN rights expert to assess plight of those displaced by recent conflict

An independent United Nations human rights expert today began a four-day visit to assess the current situation of those displaced by last month’s conflict in Georgia, which uprooted some 192,000 people from their homes.

Walter Kälin, the Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), plans to start with meetings in the capital, Tbilisi, where he will meet with Government officials, civil society, international organizations and IDPs.

He will then travel to Gori and surrounding areas to assess the situation and meet with displaced persons and relevant actors involved in addressing the human rights of the displaced.

“Mr. Kälin hopes to be able to also visit Tskhinvali and surrounding conflict-affected areas in the near future,” according to a news release issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Mr. Kälin, who serves in an independent and unpaid capacity, will present his findings and recommendations to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. In recent months he has visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sri Lanka, the Central African Republic and Azerbaijan.