2008 ORDINARY SESSION

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(Fourth part)

REPORT

Thirty-fourth Sitting

Thursday 2 October 2008 at 10 a.m.

Mr HERKEL (Estonia). – I have only two points to refer to: the question of responsibility and today’s report.

The responsibility on international organisations, including the Council of Europe, is extremely great. We must honestly admit that we failed to be proactive before the war began. For example, we failed to react to passportisation from the Russian side in South Ossetia and we failed to react to several provocations committed over a long period before the war began.

On responsibility with regard to human rights, even if the term “ethnic cleansing” is applied to ethnic cleansing of Georgian villages in South Ossetia or in other respects, the responsibility is for both sides. On responsibility with regard to international law, that clearly lies on the side of the Russian Federation, which clearly committed military aggression against the sovereign state of Georgia.

On the report, I thank both rapporteurs, the members of the ad hoc committee and all the relevant committees for their opinions, as well as the Commissioner for Human Rights. Even if I might have suggested a stronger approach on some points, I have grounds to hope that, at the end of the day, this will prove to be a strong report, especially if the amendments proposed by the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights are accepted this evening.

With regard to this case, we are speaking with a strong voice. The important aspects are full implementation of the peace plan, access to the region of conflict for EU and OSCE monitors and, of course, withdrawal of recognition of de facto regimes by the Russian Federation.