UN Secretary-General calls for Unficyp to stay for six more months

 

U.N. SECRETARY-General Ban Ki-moon has recommended that the UN Security Council extend the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force on the island (UNFICYP) for a further six months until June 15, 2011.

There were few surprises in the nine-page report, giving the impression that the UN chief said all he had to say in last month’s report on the good office’s mission in Cyprus.

The Secretary-General’s report on UNFICYP was shared with members of the Security Council yesterday and will be presented at the Council next Thursday by the UN Special Representative in Cyprus Lisa Buttenheim, six days before the peacekeeping force’s mandate expires.

In his report, Ban said UNFICYP “continues to play an important role on the island, all the more so at this sensitive juncture of the talks”.

The UN chief repeated his intention, first mentioned in last month’s report, to conduct a broader assessment of the UN presence in Cyprus in the coming months, “with a view to recommending ways to further adjust to ongoing developments”.

Ban highlighted that the establishment of economic, social, cultural, sporting and other ties and contacts will have a positive impact on the ongoing negotiations.

“Such contacts nurture a sentiment of trust between the communities and help address the concerns of isolation expressed by the Turkish Cypriots,” he said.

In what could be read as a subtle hint at support for direct trade with the north, he added: “Greater economic and social parity between the sides will make the eventual reunification not only easier but also more likely. In the context of an internationally sanctioned peace process, efforts in the opposite direction can only be counterproductive.”

On the missing persons issue, he urged the Turkish forces “to adopt a more forthcoming approach” regarding complete access to military areas in the north.

Meanwhile, UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer briefed members of the UN Security Council behind closed doors last night on the UNSG’s report concerning his good office’s mission to Cyprus and the latest developments in the Cyprus problem.

 

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