OSCE Chairmanship emphasizes need for political will, empathy at Geneva Discussions

GENEVA, 8 JUNE 2012 – The Geneva International Discussions are the only process to resolve the consequences of the 2008 conflict in Georgia, said Pádraig Murphy, the OSCE Chairmanship’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus, following today’s 20th meeting in Geneva.

In a joint statement with the other two co-chairs of the Geneva Discussions, EU Special Representative Philippe Lefort and UN Representative Antti Turunen, Murphy assessed the security situation as generally stable, albeit with a number of incidents.

Recalling Ireland’s experience in conflict resolution, Murphy emphasized that “political will and leadership are essential and in principle all conflicts, being caused by human beings, can also be resolved by them”.

He highlighted the need for empathy, tolerance, respect and inclusiveness saying, “readiness to accommodate differences, including acknowledging the legitimacy of differing interpretations of shared history, is key to successful peace talks”.

The Geneva International Discussions take place in two parallel working groups. One group deals with security and stability, and the other with humanitarian questions, including internally displaced persons and refugees.

The co-chairs agreed with the participants that the next meeting will be held in Geneva on 3 October 2012.