Housing and property restitution for returnees in Tajikistan in the 1990s

Abstract

This article seeks to contribute to an understanding of issues related to housing and property restitution for refugee and IDP returnees in Tajikistan, taking into account Tajikistan's unique background prior to Independence in 1991, when a centrally controlled government system with state-owned property prevailed. It reviews the Civil War of 1992, as well as the causes and implications of the internal and external dis placement of approximately 900,000 Tajiks. The article then reviews how international and regional organizations contributed to a resolution with a pioneering, proactive approach. The role of UNHCR in creating humanitarian space for returnees' housing and property restitution is the analysed in depth. The Tajik General Agreement and Protocol on Refugees of 1997 and the national framework for its implementation, which codified and consolidated progress made during the peace process and the return of refugees, are also discussed. I. Introduction