UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon could be gearing up to appoint a new special advisor for Cyprus, indicating that new talks on a settlement could become a reality next year.
“In anticipation of the appointment of a Special Adviser in 2008,” Ban said the estimated requirements of $298,500 would provide for salaries and common staff costs for the Special Adviser, with $173,100 for his or her support staff, as well as $124,900 for official travel.
Ban’s predecessor Kofi Annan set aside $639,500 in the UN’s budget this time last year for the possible appointment of a Cyprus envoy in 2007, in the event there was progress in implementing the July 8, 2006 agreement.
However, there was no progress.
The July agreement was designed to lead to comprehensive negotiations, but came to a standstill in September after a meeting between the two leaders. This had been preceded by 50 unproductive meetings between aides to President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.
“There is broad consensus on the way forward, including preliminary agreement on the list of issues for the technical committees and the working groups,” said Ban in his report.
“However, differences remain concerning the interpretation of the agreement, most notably on what constitutes a day-to-day matter, and the mechanism for resolving disagreements.”
Referring to the September 5 meeting between Papadopoulos and Talat, Ban commented on the fact it had been their first meeting since July 8, 2006 when the deal was struck under the auspices of UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari.
He said at the September meeting that the two leaders agreed to continue their contacts through the United Nations “and to meet again when appropriate”.
“Depending on the developments on the island, in 2008, the Secretary-General may decide to appoint a Special Adviser to carry out his good offices mission at the shortest possible notice to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem,” Ban said.
“Both the Secretary-general and the Security Council have underlined that the responsibility of finding a solution lies first and foremost with the Cypriots themselves. In that connection, civil society has been encouraged to be more actively engaged in the search for a comprehensive settlement.”
Ban has also set targets for 2008. He foresees six meetings between Papadopoulos and Talat, 35 meetings between aides to the two leaders under UNFICYP Chief of Mission Michael Moller and the establishment of 12 committees and working groups.
He also sets a target of 150 conferences, seminars and other relevant events organised by civil society groups engaged in the search for a comprehensive settlement and also the restoration of full-fledged negotiations to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, with four substantive issues agreed as the basis for a comprehensive settlement.
Since the rejection of the Annan plan in referendum in 2004, the UN has taken the position that if there is no evidence of political will in Cyprus, a new special envoy would not be appointed.
Responding to Ban’s comments, Papadopoulos said the current period could serve towards preparing the ground for a new UN initiative, and should not be wasted.
“’Preparation is not something we have discovered. It is the quintessence of the Gambari process. So this period, and we are ready for it, could be used to begin work at working groups to prepare the ground, so that the Secretary-general can have additional motives and more reasons to begin his initiative,” Papadopoulos said.
Talat said yesterday he was ready at any time for a meeting with Papadopoulos.
