CYPRUS
Positive steps taken,” Guterres says in Good Offices Report on Cyprus

Despite the absence of common ground between the two sides, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres notes in his Report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus for the information of the members of the Security Council, that the leaders of both sides agreed on positive steps during the October 15, 2024 dinner. The report points out the need to bridge differences and rebuild trust. António Guterres calls on all stakeholders to ensure that future meetings are open and constructive, urging for an agreement on the crossing points as a sign of political will.  

The report covers developments from 13 June 2024 to 11 December 2024. It provides an update on the activities carried out by the Secretary-General’s mission of good offices under the leadership of the Deputy Special Adviser on Cyprus, Colin Stewart. The report also covers the Secretary-General’s engagement with the parties.

Regarding Varosha, the SG reiterates that the United Nations’ position remains unchanged and called for full compliance with Resolutions 550 (1984) and 789 (1992).

The Secretary-General reaffirms his commitment to maintaining dialogue with the parties and the guarantor powers (Greece, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom), highlighting that both international and local support is vital for achieving a lasting solution.

He encourages holding discussions with the guarantor powers to explore future steps, as there is hope for a mutually acceptable solution.

Additionally, the Secretary-General notes that while the active technical committees continue to function, they are hindered by a lack of strong political will, stressing the need for greater support from the leaders. “The continued support of the EU for these committees is commendable,” he added.

More specifically, the Report says that building on the work of his personal envoy, María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, who completed her mission in July 2024, the Secretary-General stated that he worked throughout this period with the leaders of the two communities and the guarantor powers (Greece, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom). Following the discussions, the Secretary-General invited Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar to an informal dinner in New York on October 15. The two leaders agreed to hold a broader informal meeting soon under the Secretary-General’s auspices and to explore the possibility of opening new crossing points on the island.

According to the report, “the informal meeting on October 15 gave both communities hope for progress toward resuming talks on the Cyprus issue. Discussions on opening new crossing points were welcomed by both communities and sparked public debate on the future of the peace process”.

The report also notes that “relations between the guarantor powers Greece and Türkiye improved, with regular high-level meetings reaffirming their commitment to strengthening ties, a development considered positive for the Cyprus peace process.”  

Meetings between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties, facilitated by the Slovak Embassy, continued during this period, with the participation of 15 parties from across the island. The parties highlighted the need to de-escalate tensions and return to negotiations, acknowledging the unsatisfactory status quo.

The Religious Track for Peace in Cyprus under the auspices of the Swedish Embassy -the report notes- continued to foster cooperation between Christian and Muslim leaders. “UNFICYP facilitated two pilgrimages to the Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque in Larnaca, with the participation of more than 1,150 pilgrims,” the report says.

The report highlights that -despite ongoing skepticism about the feasibility of a solution- civil society activity increased, particularly among groups advocating for reunification and the opening of new crossing points.

The report further notes that “on December 10, an informal meeting was held in Nicosia during the year-end reception organized by the Deputy Special Adviser.”

The Secretary-General points out that the Good Offices mission promoted contacts, cooperation, and confidence-building on the island. Deputy Special Adviser Colin Stewart held 54 meetings with leaders, political parties, civil society organizations, and international partners.

Dialogue continued through regular meetings between the Deputy Special Adviser and the negotiators of both sides, as well as through meetings of the technical committees on issues of mutual interest, such as health, culture, and education. A total of approximately 100 meetings of the 12 technical committees took place during this period, with some, such as the Cultural Heritage and Crisis Committees, remaining particularly active.

“Activities of the technical committees continued at a constructive level despite the usual summer period slowdown, with a total of approximately 100 meetings conducted across all committees. While some committees, such as those on Broadcasting, Gender Equality, Humanitarian Matters and Crisis Management, faced delays, others, including those on Environment, Cultural Heritage, Culture and Crossings implemented new initiatives and/or maintained regular engagement”, it is noted in the Report.

According to the Report, the Technical Committee on Environment remained active from June to December, with projects being implemented at various stages: “Exploring the geological heritage of the island of Cyprus”, “Environmental caretakers – empowering youth on environment” and “Preserving biodiversity – analysing poison use in remote wildlife habitats”. A project proposal to study and develop responses to pests that could devastate citrus trees and other crops across the island was approved in November.

It is further noted that the Technical Committee on Culture is currently working on several initiatives that would bring together artists from both sides. The implementation of ‘Channels to Culture and Cooperation’, a website that will facilitate the exchange of experiences and information on cultural matters across the island, is ongoing.

The Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage oversaw the restoration of various sites of cultural and historical importance during the second half of the year, including the Evdim mosque and the Avios Theodoros church. In addition, on 25 October, the Committee launched an interactive educational programme on shared cultural heritage for Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot youth.

Additionally, the Technical Committee on Crossings met regularly and finalized the discussions on an enlargement project for the existing Agios Dometios/Metehan crossing point in Nicosia, “where persistent delays are caused by a lack of sufficient lanes and personnel for document checks. The implementation of the project is expected to start in September 2025. Upon its completion, the enlargement of this particular crossing is anticipated to significantly facilitate movement between the two sides”.

 The Technical Committee on Education established a focus group to propose joint educational projects, such as a project for the promotion of contact and increased cooperation between students from both communities at all educational levels related to the environment and sustainable development. Committee members also exchanged educational material for teaching history in their respective communities. Notwithstanding the suspension by the north of the Technical Committee’s involvement in the “Imagine” peace education project, the highly popular initiative continues, now implemented by civil society organizations.

Is is also added that the Technical Committee on Health hosted an event of its vector-borne diseases project on mosquitos, while the Veterinary Subcommittee was delayed in taking up the issue of pets crossing the Green Line but finally launched discussions in the second half of November.

The Technical Committee on Economic and Commercial Matters met regularly to discuss ways to further enable intra-island trade. The Technical Committee on Crime and Criminal Matters continued to enjoy good cooperation and exchange of information on criminal matters between the two sides as part of the Committee’s Joint Contact Rooms. Significant projects such as the Crisis Management Committee’s disaster protocol for communications and response, and the “Switch to Green Energy” initiative under the Broadcasting and Telecommunication Technical Committee remained stalled.

“Both sides observed that the Technical Committees on Humanitarian Affairs and Gender Equality required additional encouragement to meet more regularly and be more active: the Committees have only met respectively once and twice during the reporting period. Furthermore, the Technical Committee on Gender Equality required more political support to take forward implementation of the “Action Plan on how to ensure women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in the settlement process/an eventual settlement process”.

The Report also says that aiming to address the energy isolation experienced by the whole island, discussions with the two sides on a potential joint solar power plant in the buffer zone continued during the reporting period. A pre-feasibility study presented earlier envisaged a photovoltaic plant with the financial support from the European Union if the project were to be agreed. Such a power plant would contribute to increased inter-island cooperation in the energy sector, bolster the green transition on both sides and pave the way for other solar power projects across the island. Its completion will depend on flexibility to address the concerns of both parties.

The idea of preserving existing intra-island economic ties while fostering new ones also remained a prominent message of the mission during the reporting period, it is added.

During the reporting period, Green Line Regulation trade reached close to €13 million by the end of October 2024, a slightly lower level than during the corresponding period in 2023.

The UNSG in the Observations included in the Report notes that “despite the efforts during the previous reporting period by my Personal Envoy María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, who worked intensively with the parties and engaged a wide spectrum of actors, both on the island and internationally, regrettably no common ground had been found between the leaders on the way forward on the Cyprus issue”.

“I welcome, however, that the two leaders agreed to some constructive next steps during the informal dinner I convened on 15 October 2024. During the dinner, I also encouraged the leaders to consider how to bridge the gap in their positions and rebuild trust to allow movement leading to a settlement”, UNSG says.

“Even while I acknowledge the somber anniversaries of the last year, I urge all Cypriots to focus on the future in order to avoid a perpetual stalemate. It is also important, at this stage and after the findings of my Personal Envoy, to have a critical look at the way forward through an informal broader meeting with the two sides and the guarantor powers. I call upon all relevant stakeholders to earnestly consider how to ensure that this next engagement, which has raised hope among Cypriots that a mutually acceptable way forward is still possible, is open and constructive”. Guterres notes.

In the meantime, he adds, “I encourage the two sides to demonstrate a spirit of compromise with respect to the discussions related to crossing points, as an agreement on this issue would be a meaningful signal of political will ahead of any broader format meeting. To this end, as agreed in October, I also encourage the leaders to meet in Cyprus to explore the possibility of opening new crossings at an opportune time. The island has seen a record number of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots crossing between the two sides in recent years. The increase in the number of crossings combined with chronic delays has led to constant, yet avoidable long waiting times impacting regular commuters, workers, students and efforts to trade between the two sides. I encourage the two leaders to conclude an agreement on crossing points without delay. In addition, the work progressing under the Technical Committee on Crossings to expand and improve the Agios Dometios/Metehan crossing point, representing a majority of the traffic between the two sides, is encouraging”, he adds

Adequate financing should be sourced, and the parties should move forward swiftly with project implementation, he notes.

“I appreciate the continuous support of the European Union to the technical committees, through its support facility, administered by UNDP, and welcome the decision to fund the support facility for another year through the end of 2025. I call upon the leaders and their representatives to ensure that this support is fully utilized in a mutually-agreed manner and to the benefit of all Cypriots”, he also adds.

“I am concerned by the persistent unilateral actions by both sides in and around the buffer zone, which could permanently alter the military status quo of the area, and which are not conducive to the broader peace process. I also continue to be concerned about the situation in the fenced-off area of Varosha and note that the position of the United Nations on Varosha remains unchanged. I recall the decisions of the Security Council on the matter, notably resolutions 550 (1984) and 789 (1992), and I underscore the importance of adhering fully to those resolutions”, UNSG also stresses.

Source: Parikiaki.com

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