August 2008 conflict: Five years after

The August 2008 conflict in Georgia caused the tragic loss of hundreds of lives, and left many thousands of people displaced. Five years on, we can see the impact the military conflict had on Georgia and South Caucasus. For the OSCE and its participating States, the conflict and its aftermath serve as a reminder of the core mandate of the Organization: to build a space of co-operative security, to respect differences, build confidence and to strive for the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Five years after, the OSCE is heavily involved in mediation addressing the consequences of the conflict. Together with the EU and the UN, the OSCE co-chairs the Geneva International Discussions. These ongoing discussions are the only forum where all stakeholders are represented, bringing together participants from Tbilisi, Tskhinvali and Sukhumi, as well as Moscow and Washington.

The Discussions take place on a regular basis in two parallel working groups, one dealing with security and stability, and the other with humanitarian questions, including internally displaced persons and refugees.

Read the latest press releases on the Geneva International Discussions here.

But supporting political negotiations is not enough. People living in the conflict-affected areas deserve peace, stability and the opportunity to live their lives right now.

An important outcome of the Geneva International Discussions is the creation of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) to deal with matters affecting the daily life of people on the ground. These issues include ensuring the safety of farmers working in dangerous areas,  facilitating the search for missing persons, and finding arrangements to secure freedom of movement for people on both sides of the administrative boundary line. The mechanism foresees monthly meetings on the ground to discuss these questions; a “hotline” was established as well to provide a direct communication link between the authorities involved in the IPRM. The OSCE and the EU Monitoring Mission facilitate these meetings taking place in the village of Ergneti.

Read the latest press releases on the IPRM here.

The OSCE also implements EU-funded projects that directly improve the lives of people affected by the conflict and help build confidence between them.

An important programme sought to repair the water supply for the communities on both sides: projects to provide drinking and irrigation water to residents of Znauri, Nikosi and Zonkari villages were completed recently; and the gates of the Zonkari Dam are now fully functioning. Further plans to repair the irrigation infrastructure and provide additional potable water are underway.

See a photo gallery on the renovation of the Zonkari Dam here.