PACE Bureau endorsed Motion on Refugees/IDPs Human Rights as key for Peace, backed by ECHR President

    - "The recent Georgia - Russia conflict showed that protracted situations where Displaced persons' Human Rights are not respected, ..may become dangerous for Peace", anywhere among CoE member Countries", said to "EuroFora" the President of PACE Refugees, Migration and Population Committee, Dutch MEP Mrs Corian JONKER, who drafted the Motion.    On the contrary, "if we (CoE) succceed to highlight enough Displaced persons' Rights, then, this may help to find agreed Solutions''', she added

     Her Draft was signed by many MEPs including all Chairmen of PACE's Political Groups, (EuroLeft's COX, Socialists' GROSS, Liberals' EORSI, ChristianDemocrats/EPP's Van den BRANDE and Democrats' WILSHIRE), in a rare unanimity on Principles from the Right to the Left of all the political spectrum...

    Assembly's Bureau endorsed the Motion on "Protecting the human rights of long-term displaced persons in Europe", Friday in Strasbourg, in view of a crucial session of the PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly on the State of Human Rights in Europe scheduled for June.

    The move was backed by ECHR's President, Jean-Paul COSTA speaking to "EuroFora" : - "Yes, of course", he agreed with our question if "respect for Refugees/IDP's Human' Rights could facilitate Peace Solutions", as this Motion believes.

    The contrary, i.e. "neglecting the interests of IDPs carries a real Political Risk that Frozen Conflicts associated with them can re-ignite at any time", warns MEPs' Motion. "Continued international indifference to long-term displacement situations can lead to renewed conflict, significant loss of life and the displacement of many more people from their homelands".

    - "Scattered in 11 of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe" (almost 1 in 4 : 20%), "the unresolved situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs)", led to "regular expressions of concern" by CoE's Assembly, which " has consistently called on governments to seek durable solutions for the return of the displaced and to guarantee the protection of their rights", stresses the Motion from the outset. This "includes: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Moldova, Russia, Serbia and Turkey".

    Some 3 million People "remain displaced" in CoE's area, "99% of whom fled their Homes" 15 to 35 years ago "as a result of Conflicts", "and most of them have settled elsewhere than their places of origin". "The Majority of the displaced ...struggle to enjoy their rights and are marginalised by disregard or for failure to protect their human rights, in particular economic, social and cultural rights"..

    From Russian President MEDVEDEV, to Croatian Prime Minister SANADER, several Chiefs of State or Government have officially accepted the Principle of IDP's return, despite problems on the spot. But others still abstain or refuse to do so..

    While things evolve slowly in the Balkans, Cyprus' reunification Peace Talks started to deal with Refugees/IDP's issues, where classic differencies have to be overcome, and ECHR's judgements to be clarified and applied also on Cyprus' territories occupied by Ankara's troops.

    - But "Refugees and IDPs must also be associated and actively involved, in one way or another, to Negotiations on their Future : It would be an error to totally ignore their views", warned "EuroFora" also Draftswoman JONKER, as President of CoE Assembly's competentCommittee.    

    CoE''s Member "States" must "inform and involve IDPs on all relevant steps, and to the extent possible, provide them the opportunity to participate in Decisions affecting them", Motion says.

    "As regards Political Solutions", CoE's Ministers should "step up efforts aimed at the peaceful settlement of the conflicts ... with a view to guarantee Return of all refugees and displaced persons to their places of origin if they so wish". Therefore, CoE should "work with respective governments and international actors towards creating durable Solutions for the Displaced, with a particular focus on planning for Returns, and for Property Restitution or Compensation"

    The Motion "calls upon member States" to "ensure the Safety and security of IDPs, particularly at locations of Return". To "fully respect the voluntary .. Return", and "to Restitute Property".  "CoE must contribute more effectively towards creating sustainable conditions for safe Return of IDPs", and  "raise awareness on the existing protection mechanisms under the European Convention on Human Rights", which developed a pioneer case-law in Strasbourg, cited as an example throughout the World, since 1996-2009.

    - The Human "Right of IDPs to choose between Return to their Homes, local integration at the site of displacement, or Resettlement to another part of the Country must be respected. That choice must be voluntary and informed", CoE's Motion stresses.

    - "IDPs should not be used as political pawns" : ."In the absence of political settlements, (temporary) ...local integration is not necessarily incompatible with return" : "Enabling the displaced to lead a normal life, and protecting their right to return, are not mutually exclusive". While "governments should not deny the scale of displacement ...and direct international attention elsewhere".

    CoE's Motion also asks to " fight against the Impunity for Violations suffered by many IDPs", and urges CoE's member States "to investigate and bring to Justice the Perpetrators of Human Rights Violations and Crimes committed during the various armed Conflicts that have led to displacements".
    
    This is part of PACE's intention to focus, at its June 2009 session, on the struggle against Impunity.
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    (PHOTO, above : The "Jonker Equation" : 5 Political Group Leaders and ECHR's President backing Refugees' Human Rights and Peace, will succeed to find solutions ?)