OSCE sends experts to Georgia to assess human rights and minority situation in areas affected by conflict

WARSAW/THE HAGUE, 10 October 2008 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities will send an expert team to Georgia to assess the human rights and minority situation in the areas affected by the recent armed conflict.

The assessment team is deployed at the request of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship and in co-ordination with the OSCE Mission to Georgia.

The assessment team, which is due to arrive in Tbilisi tomorrow, will consist of 15 human rights and national minorities experts from ODIHR and the High Commissioner's office.

During the two-week mission, the team plans to visit all areas affected by the conflict, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

On 17 and 18 October, the team will be joined by Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, the Director of ODIHR, and Ambassador Knut Vollebaek, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.

The assessment team will prepare a report and recommendations for the OSCE Chairmanship ahead of the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Helsinki on 4 and 5 December.