UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday ordered the termination of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) after Russia vetoed a West-sponsored draft resolution seeking a two-week mandate extension.
The veto came hours before the mandate of the UN monitoring mission expires at midnight New York time (0400 GMT Tuesday).
"The secretary-general has taken note of the lack of agreement within the Security Council on the future activities of a United Nations stabilization mission," said a statement issued by Ban's press office.
"In accordance with this outcome, the secretary-general will instruct his special representative to take all measures required to cease the operations of UNOMIG, effective June 16," it said.
The secretary-general will consult his senior advisors and his special representative on the "immediate next steps," it said.
In the statement, Ban regretted that the council failed to reach agreement on the basis of a package of "practical and realistic proposals" in his report aimed at "contributing to a stabilization of the situation on the ground."
In the report, Ban proposed a new security regime to help stabilize Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia and ensure a "viable" UN presence in the region.
He also recommended the establishment of "a United Nations stabilization mission" to help enforce the security regime.
The UNOMIG was established in August 1993 to verify compliance with the cease-fire agreement between the government of Georgia and the Abkhaz authorities in Georgia.
Georgia and Russia fought a five-day war last August, when Georgia attacked South Ossetia to retake the rebel region which borders Russia. In response, Moscow sent in troops to drive Georgian forces out of the region.
Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states two weeks after the conflict ended.
(Xinhua News Agency June 16, 2009)
