The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) parliamentary assembly on Wednesday called for Russia’s immediate and unconditional withdrawal from the occupied Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia in its 31st annual session that took place in Bucharest from June 29 to July 3, 2024.

The OSCE parliamentary assembly’s demand for Russia to adhere to the European Union-mediated ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008 was stated in the Bucharest declaration adopted by it. These demands echo those made in the previous year’s Vancouver Declaration.

The hostilities in South Ossetia in August 2008 marked the beginning of the current occupation. On August 7, 2008, clashes broke out between Georgian forces and separatist authorities backed by Russian security agencies. By August 10, the situation had deteriorated significantly, prompting international calls for a ceasefire. On August 12, a European Union-mediated ceasefire agreement was signed, calling for the withdrawal of Russian and Georgian forces. Despite this agreement, Russian forces have remained in the occupied regions. The European Court of Human Rights recently ruled that Russia’s occupation in Georgia systematically violated Georgians’ human rights in April.

Nikoloz Samkharadze, chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, brought this issue to the forefront during the session. Addressing the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security, Samkharadze emphasized that 20 percent of Georgia’s territory remains under Russian occupation, with 300,000 citizens internally displaced as a result. Samkharadze underscored the pressing need for the international community to take more decisive action. “Negotiations through the Geneva International Discussions have been ongoing for years, including with the OSCE’s Co-Chairing, however the [normalisation] of the peace process still is not being achieved,” he said.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s resolution condemns the human rights abuses in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as well as highlights the Russian Federation’s “Russification” policy, which has led to the alteration and obliteration of Georgian cultural heritage in these regions. The Assembly stressed the necessity of continuing active engagement within the Geneva International Discussions framework to achieve a peaceful resolution that respects Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.