Tehran
13 January 1997With a view to overcoming the consequences of the civil war and achieving peace and national accord in the country, and in accordance with the Protocol on the fundamental principles for establishing peace and national accord in Tajikistan of 17 August 1995, the joint statement on the results of the fourth round of inter-Tajik talks in Almaty and the appeal by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. Emomali S. Rakhmonov, and the leader of the United Tajik opposition, Mr. S. A. Nuri, to their fellow countrymen who had been forced to leave the country, adopted in Moscow on 23 December 1996, the delegations of the Republic of Tajikistan and the United Tajik opposition (hereinafter referred to as "the Parties') , have agreed as follows:
l. To step up mutual efforts to ensure the voluntary return, in safety and dignity, of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes, and to complete this process within 12 to 18 months from the date of signature of this Protocol. With a view to ensuring their safety, honour and dignity, the Parties also call upon the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide assistance in order to ensure the safety of returning refugees and displaced persons and to establish and expand their presence at places where such persons are living.
2. The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan assumes the obligation to reintegrate returning refugees and displaced persons into the social and economic life of the country, which includes the provision to them of humanitarian and financial aid, assistance in finding employment and housing and the restoration of all their rights as citizens of the Republic of Tajikistan (including the return to them of dwellings and property and guaranteed uninterrupted service), and not to institute criminal proceedings against returning refugees or displaced persons for their participation in the political confrontation and the civil war, in accordance with the legislative acts in force in the Republic.
3. The Parties have decided to resume the work of the Joint Commission oil problems relating to refugees and, within one month from the date of signature of this protocol, with the assistance of UNHCR, to draw up a statute of the Commission.
4. The Parties have decided to instruct the Joint Commission, with the participation of representatives of local authorities and the United Tajik opposition for the period during which this Protocol is being implamerxted, to visit on a regular basis, in accordance with a separate timetable, refugee camps in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, places in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) where there are concentrations of refugees, and districts in the Republic of Tajikistan to which refugees and displaced pernons intend to return. Similar visits shall be organized by the Joint Commission to places where displaced persons live in large numbers. The above-mentioned timetable shall be agreed by the Toint Commission within one month from the date of signature of this Protocol,
5. The Parties appeal to the Governmcnts of the CIS States co consider issuing temporary identity documents co refugees from Tajikistan and to assint UNHCR in carrying out additional measures to cnsure the safety of refugees and defend their honour and dignity.
6. The Parties express their sincere gratitude to the United Nations, UNHCR, OSCE, donor countries and the Aga Khan Foundation for their assistance and at the same time make an urgent appeal to them and to the international Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Development Bank, the Islamic Bank and the Aga Khan Foundation to provide additional and substantial financial and material support co refugees and displaced persons and to the Joint Commission on problems relating to refugees, and also for the purpose of rehabilitating the national economy destroyed by the war and improving the well-being of the population.
(Signed) T. NAZAPOV
Head of the delegation
of the Government of
the Republic of Tajikistan(Signed) G. MERREM
Special Representative
of the Secretary-General
(Signed) A. TUPJKJONZODAH
Head of the delegation of the
United Tajik opposition