In his Good Offices Report, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres refers to the fact that there has not yet been an agreement on the appointment of a UN envoy, noting that an envoy could provide critical support to both sides.
"While I underline the importance of the work of the technical committees and the positive impact of confidence-building measures in building trust between the two communities, I believe that only real progress towards reaching a consensus starting point for meaningful, results-oriented negotiations leading to a settlement will reassure Cypriots as well as the international community for a peaceful and shared future on the island."
A copy of the Secretary-General's Report on his Good Offices Mission to Cyprus was released on Tuesday for the information of the members of the Security Council and concerns progress to date on meaningful negotiations leading to a settlement.
The report focuses on developments from 16 December 2021 to 14 June 2022 and provides an update on activities carried out by the Secretary-General's Good Offices Mission led by his Deputy Special Adviser on Cyprus, Colin Stewart.
As stated in the report, the Turkish Cypriot political landscape is characterized by uncertainty and increasing polarization. At the same time, the unofficial campaign for the presidential elections scheduled for February 2023 has started in Cyprus.
"The absence of a meaningful dialogue on the Cyprus problem between the two sides and given the prevailing socio-economic and political climate, cause uncertainty about the prospects for achieving common ground for the peace process in Cyprus," the report stressed.
The Secretary-General expressed concern about tensions in and around Cyprus and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region and urged all parties concerned to avoid unilateral actions that could increase tensions but to make efforts to de-escalate tensions.
"The two sides engaged in a concerted effort to revitalize the work of the technical committees, as called for by the Security Council. In this context, my good offices mission interacted extensively with both sides. In weekly trilateral meetings, the representatives of the two leaders and the Deputy Special Adviser on Cyprus agreed to decouple the work of the technical committees from the broader political dynamics on Cyprus, subsequently reaching a number of new bilateral agreements," the report states elsewhere.
He noted that while relations between the guarantor powers, Greece and Turkey, appeared to be improving, particularly in March, tensions gradually rose again towards the end of the reporting period.
Activities
Representatives of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties held regular meetings under the auspices of the Slovak Embassy. The representatives exchanged views on developments on the island and in the wider region and pledged to create a climate conducive to the possible resumption of formal negotiations on the Cyprus problem at the leaders' level. They also stressed and made proposals for joint confidence-building measures, discussed the importance of the work of the technical committees and expressed their readiness to engage more with youth in the Cyprus problem.
In response to a request from the Security Council, the two leaders agreed on a joint "Action Plan on ways to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in the settlement process/potential settlement process" in Cyprus.
On 13 April, the two leaders attended the official launch of the Action Plan hosted at the UN Protected Area under the auspices of the Deputy Special Adviser. The decision by the two leaders to attend the launch event in person was seen as a sign of their commitment to implement the recommendations of the Action Plan and was the first time they had met in person since the reception hosted by the Deputy Special Adviser on 14 April. December 2021.
The SG notes in the report that during his good offices mission he reached out to a wide network of interlocutors, both on the island and in relevant capitals, with the Deputy Special Adviser holding 52 meetings with the two leaders and their representatives, political parties, religious leaders as well as with organizations. In addition, 27 meetings were held with the European Union, the World Bank and the diplomatic community during the reporting period.
"These discussions covered a wide range of issues related to creating conditions conducive to the peace process, the impact of the pandemic, promoting mutually acceptable confidence-building measures and advancing the work of the technical committees. My good offices mission staff also conducted working-level visits to Ankara, Istanbul, Athens and Brussels for meetings with Greek, Turkish and European Union officials."
Twelve technical committees were established by the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders to build confidence and improve the daily lives of Cypriots. With the support of UNFICYP, the good offices mission continued to coordinate and facilitate the work of the committees to ensure dialogue and cooperation between the two sides.
Observations
"Despite the continued absence of negotiations and limited engagement on substantive issues during the peace talks, the two leaders and their representatives have continued to meet and cooperate with my Deputy Special Adviser, and practical steps have been taken to address issues of mutual concern," the Secretary-General stresses in his report.
The Secretary-General reiterates his concern about developments in the Varosha fenced area.
"The United Nations position on Varosha remains unchanged. I recall the Security Council resolutions on the issue, in particular resolutions 550 (1984) and 789 (1992), and stress the importance of full compliance with these resolutions."
"I remain concerned about tensions in and around Cyprus and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region. I urge all parties concerned to avoid unilateral actions that could increase tensions and reiterate my call for a serious effort to de-escalate tensions."
I also reiterate that natural resources in and around the island should benefit both communities and provide a strong incentive for the parties to urgently seek mutually acceptable and sustainable solutions to disputes related to natural resources and current or planned energy cooperation projects in the region for the benefit of all relevant stakeholders, he adds.
The UN Secretary-General says that due to the continued absence of meaningful dialogue on the Cyprus problem between the two sides and given the prevailing socio-economic and political climate, the prospects for achieving common ground for the peace process in Cyprus remain uncertain at present.
"As views on the role and mandate of an envoy continue to differ, no agreement has yet been reached on the modalities for the appointment of a United Nations envoy who could explore ways to achieve common ground for the resumption of negotiations for a permanent settlement in Cyprus."
It goes on to state that "our engagement with the parties and the guarantor powers continues in this regard. We recall that the future of the process remains in the hands of the parties."
"As we continue to support them in their search for common ground, the demonstration of political will and flexibility by the parties remains of paramount importance. In this regard, a UN envoy leading the engagement with the parties could provide critical support."
Guterres also stresses that "while I underline the importance of the work of the technical committees and the positive impact of confidence-building measures in building trust between the two communities, I believe that only real progress towards a consensus starting point for meaningful, results-oriented negotiations leading to a settlement will reassure Continued efforts are needed to find a mutually acceptable way forward to finally bring the Cyprus problem to a settlement, bringing peace and prosperity to all."
According to him, over the past six months, domestic political and economic developments, the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and regional tensions have taken centre stage in both communities. This focus also reflects the current lack of space to find common ground for the resumption of negotiations, with the positions of the two sides remaining very different.
He notes that the technical committees continue to do important work, albeit with varying degrees of effectiveness. Many have made progress based on the effective use of personal engagement, political empowerment and available expertise. During the reporting period, significant progress was made by the Technical Committees on Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Cultural Heritage, Crime and Criminal Matters, Environment, Finance and Trade.
At the same time, there were challenges to the effective functioning of the Technical Committees on Transit, Culture, Education, Crisis Management and Humanitarian Affairs.
In his report, the SG also refers to the drastic impact of climate change and the increasing frequency of fires and floods on the island. "I encourage cooperation between the two sides on these important issues, including through the committees working on the environment and crisis management."
He calls on the two leaders "to ensure that timely appointments are made whenever necessary to staff the committees and that the committees are empowered to develop proposals and implement projects to further strengthen inter-community contacts and improve the daily lives of all Cypriots."
Source: CNA
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
