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Η τελευταία έκθεση του Γενικού Γραμματέα του ΟΗΕ για το Κυπριακό που υποβλήθηκε στο Συμβούλιο Ασφαλείας στις 15 Απριλίου του 2019, είναι  άκρως αποκαλυπτική για το κλίμα που επικρατεί σχετικά με τις προσπάθειες για την επανέναρξη των συνομιλιών, με στόχο την επίλυση του Κυπριακού.

Η έκθεση που καλύπτει την περίοδο από τις 6 Οκτωβρίου του 2018 ως τις 10 Απριλίου του 2019, υποβάλλεται από τον Γενικό Γραμματέα του Οργανισμού ,κατόπιν της σχετικής εντολής που ο ίδιος έλαβε από το Συμβούλιο Ασφαλείας του Οργανισμού με την απόφαση 2453 του 2019, με την οποία το Σώμα του ζητά ενημέρωση σχετικά με τα αποτελέσματα των καλών υπηρεσιών ( Good Offices) που έχει κληθεί να προσφέρει με προηγούμενη απόφαση του Συμβουλίου, προκειμένου να επιτευχθεί συμφωνία για την επανέναρξη των συνομιλιών με στόχο την εξεύρεση λύσης του Κυπριακού,ενώ παράλληλα καλεί και «…τις δύο πλευρές όπως επίσης και όλους τους συμμετέχοντες να συμφωνήσουν σε «όρους εντολής» ( terms of reference) που θα αποτελέσουν την κοινά αποδεκτή βάση για την επανέναρξη των συνομιλιών» ( «…urged the sides and all involved participants to agree terms of reference which would constitute a consensus  starting point for such negotiations…)

Η έκθεση που  περιλαμβάνει το ιστορικό όλων των επαφών και συζητήσεων που έλαβαν χώρα στο διάστημα από 6 Οκτωβρίου 2018 ως τις 10 Απριλίου 2019 και τις συνομιλίες που τόσο η Αναπληρώτρια ειδική σύμβουλος του Γενικού Γραμματέα για το Κυπριακό κα Elizabeth Spehar, όσο και η ανώτατη αξιωματούχος του Οργανισμού κυρία Jane Holl Lute, είχαν στην Κύπρο όλο αυτό το διάστημα,είναι άκρως αποκαλυπτική του κλίματος που επικρατεί και μέσα στον διεθνή Οργανισμό σχετικά με την προοπτική και το περιεχόμενο της επιδιωκόμενης λύσης του Κυπριακού.

Ένα από τα βασικά χαρακτηριστικά της έκθεσης είναι ότι διαπνέεται από την λογική των ίσων αποστάσεων εξισώνοντας τον Πρόεδρο της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας με τον ηγέτη των Τουρκοκυπρίων αφού χρησιμοποιεί τον όρο οι «δύο πλευρές» (Both sides), και τον όρο «δύο κοινότητες» ( two communities), ενώ στην παράγραφο 36 των συμπερασμάτων επαναλαμβάνεται η γνωστή από χρόνια θέση του Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας για λύση που θα βασίζεται στην ίδρυση Διζωνικής και Δικοινοτικής Ομοσπονδίας, στην οποία θα αντικατοπτρίζεται η «…πολιτική ισότητα των δύο κοινοτήτων στην Κύπρο…»

Είναι αξιοσημείωτη η σημασία που αποδίδει ο Γενικός Γραμματέας των Ηνωμένων Εθνών , σε αρκετά σημεία της έκθεσης του, στην υιοθέτηση και εφαρμογή των μέτρων οικοδόμησης εμπιστοσύνης  θεωρώντας την καθυστέρηση στην εφαρμογή όσων από αυτά είχαν παλαιότερα συμφωνηθεί, ως αιτία εντάσεων και χαρακτηρίζοντας ως θετικό βήμα την συμφωνία του Προέδρου Αναστασιάδη και του κ. Ακιντζί να προχωρήσουν στην υιοθέτηση και νέων μέτρων οικοδόμησης εμπιστοσύνης και την ολοκλήρωση της εφαρμογής παλαιοτέρων, ως θετική εξέλιξη που έρχεται σε μία κρίσιμη στιγμή για την επανέναρξη των συνομιλιών. Ο Γενικός Γραμματέας του ΟΗΕ υπογραμμίζει ότι και οι «..δύο πλευρές» πρέπει  οπωσδήποτε να διασφαλίσουν την εφαρμογή των μέτρων αυτών.

Ειδικό ενδιαφέρον και  λόγω και της έντασης που τον τελευταίο καιρό επικρατεί στην περιοχή έχει η παράγραφος 33 της έκθεσης που αναφέρεται στο θέμα της εκμετάλλευσης των υδρογονανθράκων που ανακαλύφθηκαν στην Κυπριακή ΑΟΖ. Ο Γενικός Γραμματέας επαναλαμβάνει την άποψη ότι οι  «… φυσικοί πόροι που βρέθηκαν στην Κύπρο και γύρω από αυτήν πρέπει να ωφελήσουν και τις δύο κοινότητες και μπορούν να αποτελέσουν ισχυρό κίνητρο ώστε να βρεθεί μια διαρκής λύση του Κυπριακού προβλήματος….» ( I reiterate that the natural resources found in and around Cyprus should benefit both communities and can constitute a strong incentive to find a durable solution to the Cyprus problem).

Ενδιαφέρον έχει επίσης και η προτελευταία  παράγραφος της έκθεσης στην οποία αφενός μεν ανανεώνεται η εντολή προς την κυρία Lute ώστε να συνεχίσει τις επαφές και τις συνομιλίες της και αφετέρου διατυπώνεται  έκκληση στους ηγέτες και στις εγγυήτριες δυνάμεις να συνεχίσουν τις εποικοδομητικές όπως τις χαρακτηρίζει επαφές τους με την κυρία Lute και φυσικά μεταξύ τους τις οποίες χαρακτηρίζει απαραίτητες για την επανέναρξη των συνομιλιών.

Η έκθεση του γενικού Γραμματέα του ΟΗΕ στην ουσία επαναλαμβάνει την λογική της ανάγκης για άμεση  λύση του Κυπριακού όπως επίσης και το γενικό περίγραμμα στο οποίο θα πρέπει να κινηθεί η λύση αυτή. Δυστυχώς, για μια ακόμη φορά διαπιστώνεται η πορεία προς ένα δεύτερο σχέδιο Ανάν με κάπως διαφορετικό περιτύλιγμα και τίτλο. Μια τέτοια εξέλιξη το μόνο που θα πετύχει θα είναι η νομιμοποίηση των εγκλημάτων και των παράλογων απαιτήσεων της Τουρκίας.

*Απαγορεύεται από το δίκαιο της Πνευματικής Ιδιοκτησίας η καθ΄ οιονδήποτε τρόπο παράνομη χρήση/ιδιοποίηση του παρόντος.

Ακολουθεί το πλήρες κείμενο της έκθεσης του Γενικού Γραμματέα του ΟΗΕ για το Κυπριακό όπως κατατέθηκε στα Ηνωμένα ‘Έθνη.

Attached is an advance copy of the Report of the Secretary-General

1. Introduction
2. The Security Council, in its resolution 2453 (2019), requested me to submit a report by 15

April 2019 on my Good Offices and on progress towards reaching a consensus starting point

for meaningful results-oriented negotiations. In the resolution, the Security Council also urged

the sides and all involved participants to agree terms of reference which would constitute a

consensus starting point for such negotiations leading to a settlement within a foreseeable

horizon and to renew their political will and commitment to a settlement under United Nations

auspices.

2. The present report focuses on developments from 6 October 2018 to 10 April 2019, providing

an update on the activities carried out by my mission of good offices under the leadership of

my Deputy Special Adviser on Cyprus (DSASG), Ms. Elizabeth Spehar. It also provides an

update on the consultations conducted by senior United Nations official, Ms. Jane Holl Lute,

on my behalf.

1. Background and context
2. In my last report on my mission of Good Offices (S/2018/919), I noted, based on the initial

consultations carried out by Ms. Lute with the parties to the Conference on Cyprus, my belief

that the prospects for a comprehensive settlement between the two communities remained

alive. I also observed, however, that the horizon of an endless process without results lay

behind us and that there was a widespread consensus that the status quo was no longer

sustainable. In this regard, I stated my intention to request Ms. Lute to continue discussions to

gauge the true extent of convergence on key issues and the willingness of the sides to

incorporate novel proposals. I also stated that, before full-fledged negotiations could resume,

the sides should agree on terms of reference that would constitute the consensus starting point

for a possible negotiated conclusion to the Cyprus issue.

4. In contrast to the previous reporting period when no meetings were held between the leaders

of the two communities, the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, and the Turkish

Cypriot leader, Mr. Mustafa Akıncı, requested to meet twice under the auspices of my Deputy

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Special Adviser on 26 October 2018 and on 26 February 2019. The meetings represented rare

opportunities for the two leaders to have face-to-face exchanges of views on the way forward,

including the efforts to agree on terms of reference as a consensus starting point for meaningful

results-oriented negotiations. The meetings also resulted in announcements regarding a

number of important confidence-building measures, some of which had been pending since

May 2015, as well as other commitments and trust-building efforts.

5. The Security Council, in its resolution 2453 (2019), repeated its call to the two leaders to

improve the public atmosphere for negotiation, including by preparing the communities for a

settlement through more constructive and harmonized public messaging. Public perception

surveys conducted jointly in late 2018 by Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot market research

companies, with United Nations and World Bank involvement, recorded that a large majority

in both communities felt little or not at all informed about what a settlement plan would look

like. At the same time, a majority in both communities expressed the desire for a settlement,

as well as apprehension regarding the implications of a prolonged status quo, including fears

about the political, economic and social costs and consequences associated with the continued

failure to reach a settlement.

6. During the reporting period, public debate on substantive issues related to the negotiations and

on the ongoing consultations did take place, shaped to a large degree by the dueling narratives

of official statements from the two sides. As a result, the debate did not improve the climate

surrounding the political process, capitalize on the continued desire in both communities for a

settlement, nor counter the apprehension regarding the implications of a prolonged status quo.

This has been further compounded by the fact that, as noted in my last report on the United

Nations Operations in Cyprus (S/2019/37), there has been an entrenchment of positions on

both sides vis-à-vis each other, and the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus

(UNFICYP) has observed an increase in violations of the military status quo along the

ceasefire lines. An update on the situation in and along the buffer zone will be provided to the

Council in my upcoming report on United Nations Operations in Cyprus of July 2019.

7. In the reporting period, the two sides generally did not succeed in assuaging the skepticism

among the public that the necessary political will exists to reach a comprehensive settlement

through a meaningful, results-oriented process. The continuing uncertainty about the future of

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the peace process appeared to deter the two communities’ political engagement, even though

public perception surveys have registered their desire for greater involvement and

participation. This uncertainty also risks further eroding the belief in the prospects for

reunification in the two communities.

8. The current reporting period did see several important initiatives between the two communities

at civil society or non-governmental levels. The religious leaders of Cyprus sustained their

engagement within the framework of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process

(RTCYPP), under the auspices of the Embassy of Sweden. From 11 to 12 December 2018,

RTCYPP, in cooperation with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights,

organized a training event on freedom of religion or belief in Nicosia for leaders and

representatives of religious communities in Cyprus. A social media campaign bringing

attention to “16 Days of Activism for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls”

was also organized, showing members of Cyprus’ faith communities united, with messages to

combat violence against women and girls. Also, the leaders and representatives of Turkish

Cypriot and Greek Cypriot political parties gathered repeatedly under the auspices of the

Embassy of Slovakia, as well as bilaterally, organizing town hall meetings on each side of the

island to encourage dialogue and understanding between their respective communities. On 12

February 2019, the Cyprus Youth Council, consisting of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot

youth political parties and student unions, supported by the representations of the European

Commission and the European Parliament in Cyprus, also organized a bi-communal panel

discussion with party leaders from both sides of the island to discuss “Reunification via

Federation – Rebuilding a peaceful future for Cyprus”. Such intercommunal contacts,

however, still remain limited in number and scope.

III. Status of the process: Consultations

9. With respect to the consultations being conducted on my behalf, Ms. Lute has continued

separate discussions with the parties to the Conference on Cyprus as part of her efforts to

facilitate agreement on the terms of reference that would constitute a consensus starting point

for a possible negotiated conclusion to the Cyprus issue. During the period covered by the

report, in addition to a number of telephonic and other consultations, she visited Cyprus on

four occasions for separate meetings with Mr. Akıncı and Mr. Anastasiades, most recently on

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7 April 2019. She also met with representatives of the guarantor powers, Greece, Turkey and

the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, traveling to Athens on 12

December 2018 and 26 February 2019, to Ankara on 13 December 2018 and 11 March 2019,

and to London on 9 January and 15 February 2019. Ms. Lute also met with the European

Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the

European Commission on 5 December 2018 in the context of the European Union’s role as an

observer to the Conference on Cyprus.

10. During the consultations, all parties reiterated their commitment to finding a way

forward. However, while the sides have expressed their respective commitments to prior

convergences and desire to preserve the advances that brought us to Crans Montana nearly two

years ago, efforts to forge those commitments and desires into terms of reference that would

serve as a basis for resumed conclusive negotiations have not yet succeeded. Indeed, recent

public rhetoric on the island – in tone and substance – has emphasized the differences that

continue to divide the communities, rather than the common future that can unite them and the

benefits to be had from a peaceful resolution once and for all to the Cyprus problem.

1. Status of the process: Activities of my mission of good offices
2. My mission of good offices continued to actively engage a wide a range of stakeholders,

seeking the views of political parties, civil society groups, the business community and

analysts on both sides regarding political developments and the current situation on the island,

and about prospects for a resumption of the negotiations. The mission also continued to

encourage the involvement of these actors in building and mobilizing a constituency for peace.

12. In addition to providing key opportunities for the sides to discuss the way forward in the peace

process, the two meetings of the leaders were also propitious moments to advance their efforts

on important confidence-building measures and other agreements, including on new

initiatives. My Deputy Special Adviser actively engaged with the leaders prior to their informal

meetings, underscoring the importance of their efforts in this regard. My mission of good

offices, in close cooperation with UNFICYP, worked extensively with the two sides’

representatives at the technical level to prepare and to follow up on the informal leaders’

meetings, in particular regarding the implementation of confidence-building measures, to

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advance dialogue and to build trust more broadly.

13. The skepticism on both sides regarding the prospects for a resumption of the talks continued

to prevail in the aftermath of the leaders’ meetings of October 2018 and February 2019, which

were conducted in private. While some progress was registered on confidence-building

measures, there are low expectations for real progress or agreement on the terms of reference.

14. As described in my report on the United Nations Operation in Cyprus (S/2019/37), in line with

the Security Council’s repeated encouragement for the opening of other crossing points, the

two leaders announced the opening of two new crossing points at Lefka-Aplici/Lefke-Aplıç

and Deryneia/Derinya following their meeting on 26 October 2018. In the first four months

since their opening on 12 November, the new crossing points have registered more than

seventy thousand crossings by Cypriots from either side of the divide, mostly through

Deryneia/Derinya, increasing the overall exchanges between the two communities and

contributing to the economic development of the areas in the proximity of the crossings.

15. The leaders also took additional steps on the implementation and further development of

confidence-building measures, including those agreed in 2015 and explicitly called for by the

Security Council most recently in its resolution of 30 January 2019, such as the interoperability

of mobile phones and the interconnectivity of the two electricity grids. Notably, at their

meeting on 26 February 2019, the leaders reiterated their commitment to realize the

interoperability of mobile phones and decided on the overall approach to implementation,

namely through separate agreements of the operators on both sides with a hub based in Europe,

in order to facilitate greater interaction between the two communities. Furthermore, they

announced that the interconnectivity of the two electricity grids had been achieved. In

particular, they announced their decision to make the temporary electricity supply arrangement

permanent and without restriction. They also acknowledged that the transfer of electricity will

continue on an as-needed basis. These announcements were greeted positively by both

communities.

16. The two leaders further confirmed their agreement to the clearance of 18 suspected hazardous

areas, nine on each side of the island, with a view to working towards a mine-free Cyprus.

Moreover, they agreed to exchange works of art between the two sides. My mission of good

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offices is working with both sides, including through the Technical Committee on Culture, to

implement the leaders’ agreement on the latter. The leaders also discussed additional potential

confidence-building measures.

17. Following the meeting on 26 February 2019, several other steps were taken by the sides to

follow up on the leaders’ agreement on confidence building measures. In particular, intense

work continues, with the support of my mission of good offices, UNFICYP and in close

coordination with the European Commission, to reach a final technical agreement for the

interoperability of mobile phones, in line with the framework agreed by the leaders.

18. At their meeting on 26 February 2019, the leaders responded to repeated calls from the Security

Council and publicly announced their decision to intensify the work of the technical

committees. In addition to this political commitment, on 10 April, the sides, assisted by my

mission of good offices and in close consultation with the European Commission and UNDP,

established a facility funded by the European Union in support of the technical committees’

activities and their capacity development. More precisely, the facility will support efforts

aimed at adopting and implementing solutions to issues that affect the day-to-day life of

Cypriots, at strengthening their capacity, and at enhancing the impact and visibility of their

work.

19. My mission of good offices, with the support of UNFICYP, has continued to facilitate the work

of the twelve technical committees established by the leaders under United Nations auspices

as part of the peace process. Similar to previous reporting periods, those Committees that have

remained steadily active throughout the years, maintained their pace of meetings and activities,

such as the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and the subcommittee “Joint

Communication Room” of the Technical Committee on Crime and Criminal Matters. Others

have been less active or have not met at all. In a welcome development, some signs of

revitalization of the Committees that had been dormant after the closure of the Conference on

Cyprus continued to emerge throughout the reporting period, including a higher number of

meetings and contacts between the heads and members of the committees as well as the

consideration of and agreement on additional activities and projects, including for the

implementation of confidence-building measures agreed by the leaders, albeit remaining well

below their full potential.

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20. Work undertaken by the technical committees in the reporting period illustrated in concrete

ways how they can support the leadership of the two sides, realize meaningful activities for

both communities, and highlight benefits of reconciliation. For instance, the Technical

Committee on Economic and Commercial Matters worked on key confidence-building

measures such as the interconnectivity of the electrical grids and interoperability of mobile

phones, demonstrating the scope of the committees’ potential to support senior political

decision-making and to build trust. Equally, the Technical Committees on Education and on

Culture, brought together students, teachers and artists from both sides and illustrated the value

of bi-communal efforts in generating mutual understanding and practical exchange between

the two communities. In particular, the Technical Committee on Education enhanced its efforts

to implement the Imagine project, which is aimed at increasing connections between

schoolchildren from both communities through peace education and contact. A new initiative

was introduced to conduct island-wide study visits designed to provide students with

opportunities to collaborate and study together the cultural heritage and physical environments

all over Cyprus. The pilot phase of the study visits initiative ‘Learning from Nicosia’ was

launched on 27 March 2019 in both parts of the Nicosia walled city with the participation of

fifty pupils and eight teachers from both communities.

21. During the reporting period, the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, a particularly

active committee, completed the conservation of two historic buildings, St. Anne’s Church and

Tanner’s Mosque, in Famagusta. A completion ceremony on 20 March 2019 drew a sizeable

crowd, including Famagusta residents, members of the Maronite community in Cyprus and

local diplomats. The Technical Committee further announced on 27 March 2019 that it would

be rehabilitating six cemeteries across Cyprus in response to requests from the communities

for the Committee to include this initiative in its list of projects, focussing on Greek Cypriot

and Turkish Cypriot cemeteries as pilot projects. Both initiatives benefit from the support of

UNDP and funding from the European Union.

22. Following the call of the Security Council to revitalize the work of the Technical Committee

on Gender Equality, the sides have agreed that it will spearhead an initiative to focus on the

intersection of gender and climate change. Finally, the increasing contacts and meetings of the

Technical Committees on Broadcasting, on Crisis Management, and on the Environment

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underscored that substantive issues of relevance to both communities can be more effectively

addressed via intercommunal channels such as the technical committees.

23. In my 15 October 2018 report on my mission of good offices, I suggested the conduct of a

United Nations-facilitated stock-taking exercise on the activities and modi operandi of the

technical committees over the past 10 years, which could be useful in identifying potential

areas of improvement and ways to strengthen and streamline their work. Since then, my

mission of good offices has started to pursue this initiative with the sides.

24. In the same report, I reiterated the need for the greater engagement of women and youth in

building support for the settlement. The latest round of negotiations incorporated into the

process the Technical Committee on Gender Equality, established by the leaders in 2015. With

respect to the role of women in the talks, while it is true that all positions at the helm of the

process, including the leaders and negotiators of both sides, were men, both negotiation teams

included women in central positions, contributing actively and substantively to the process.

My own mission of good offices, together with the leadership of UNFICYP, also set an

example for women playing decisive roles in the work of the United Nations in Cyprus,

including in the facilitation of negotiations.

25. With respect to civil society, there has traditionally been an active core group of women

promoting peace and reconciliation on the island, but there has not been a systematic link

between civil society efforts and the negotiation process. In addition to the need to bring more

women into the peace process, including by finding ways to incorporate contributions from

women in civil society, it also remains necessary that, in the future, the substance of the

agreement be gender-sensitive to reflect and address the concerns and needs of all members of

society, including women.

26. As called for by the Security Council in resolution 2453 (2019), my mission of good offices

has begun to take forward the gender-sensitive socio-economic impact assessment of a

settlement. During the reporting period, the focus has been on laying the ground for the

assessment, with particular attention on its substantive scope and focus and the dissemination

of the results as well as the involvement of and consultation with key stakeholders. The

initiative will be pursued in consultation with the two sides, relevant experts and civil society

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actors, with a view to increasing the understanding of the socio-economic benefits and

challenges of a comprehensive settlement. In the assessment, attention will also be paid to the

differentiated impact of a settlement on women and men. The outcomes of the assessment will

be shared with the two communities, as requested by the Security Council.

1. Observations
2. I underscore that the means for a durable solution to the Cyprus problem remains, foremost,

in the parties’ hands. As I have noted previously, a settlement will demand that each side

accept less than the fullest measure of satisfaction on every issue. I also note that a

comprehensive settlement will open up opportunities for growth, prosperity, and confidence

otherwise forsaken.

28. The agreement by Mr. Anastasiades and Mr. Akıncı to move forward with a number of

confidence-building measures, several of which had been agreed at the start of the last round

of negotiations in May 2015, is a welcome development. The almost four-year delay in the

implementation of their earlier commitment to such measures had been a source of friction.

These steps come at an important moment, as efforts are underway to agree on terms of

reference, and represent some positive movement in the peace process since the closure of the

Conference on Cyprus on 7 July 2017.

29. While the agreement reached by the leaders on confidence-building measures should be

commended, it will be crucial that both sides continue to seek solutions and creative ways to

ensure the implementation of the measures, particularly the interoperability of the mobile

phones which is long overdue, also in light of the expectations that have been raised among

the public on both sides. I believe that the already implemented confidence-building measures

such as the opening of the two new crossings in November 2018, as well as the

interconnectivity of the electricity grids contribute to building some momentum towards peace

and reconciliation on the island. However, only meaningful indications of a return to the

negotiation table, including through an agreement on the terms of reference, will provide

convincing reassurances about the real prospects of the peace process to the two communities,

other interested parties and the international community at large.

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30. I remain convinced that for a solution to be sustainable, the two communities will have to be

well-informed about the contours of a settlement as well as the consequences of not achieving

1. This requires an open and constructive discourse that transcends polarizing rhetoric and that

focuses on the benefits for all Cypriots. More efforts in this regard are essential and I encourage

the sides, in particular the two leaders, to consider ways in which positive messaging and

greater information about the process and the overall context can be further strengthened. This

will also require greater involvement and engagement of civic actors, youth, and women to

build confidence in the steps necessary to agree to and implement a settlement agreement.

More efforts should be directed at increasing opportunities for bi-communal cooperation

which could contribute to trust-building between the two communities. The recent public

perception surveys have demonstrated that there is interest for such cooperation in both

communities.

31. I welcome the increased activity of, and commitment of support to, the bi-communal technical

committees. Nevertheless, as I stated in my report of 11 January 2019 (S/2019/37), there

remains significantly untapped potential in relation to the technical committees, which the

leaders established in 2008 under the auspices of my mission of good offices. While there has

been a lack of consistency in the work of a number of these committees over the years, it

should be recognized that, overall, they have not only pursued their original stated objective

of addressing issues that affect the day-to-day life of people on the island, but have also served

to maintain the dialogue between the sides on important matters, to illustrate the practical

benefits of bi-communal engagement, including to the public at large, and to provide an avenue

for the leaders to pursue trust-building activities and implement confidence-building measures.

A further revitalization and intensification of their work, with clear backing from the leaders

and supported with sufficient resources, would be an important step to exploit this potential

for the benefit of Cypriots and for the efforts to reach a comprehensive and durable settlement.

32. In this regard, I welcome that both sides indicated their openness to a United Nations-

facilitated stock-taking exercise on the activities and modi operandi of the technical

committees. It is my hope that they will engage fully in this exercise with a view to identifying

specific ways to further improve and utilize them.

33. Regarding the enduring tensions surrounding hydrocarbons exploration, I reiterate that the

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natural resources found in and around Cyprus should benefit both communities and can

constitute a strong incentive to find a durable solution to the Cyprus problem.

34. I am grateful for the receptivity and forthrightness with which all interlocutors have engaged

Ms. Lute. In all of these encounters, parties expressed their clear agreement that the time of

endless negotiation is behind us and that the status quo is not sustainable. They also reiterated

their commitment to finding a way forward toward a lasting solution under the auspices of the

United Nations and expressed the view that I continue to engage, through Ms. Lute’s efforts,

to find a way to permit the resumption of negotiations that would lead to an agreement within

a foreseeable horizon.

35. It is my hope that the ongoing consultations will lead to a return to negotiations, to which I

could devote the full weight of my good offices, with the aim of reaching a lasting resolution

of the Cyprus issue. In that respect, I call on the two leaders, their communities, the guarantor

powers, and other interested parties to engage in these efforts constructively, creatively and

with the necessary sense of urgency.

36. The Council has been consistent over the decades in its support for a bi-zonal, bi-communal

federation that reflects the political equality of the two communities on Cyprus. To aid the

parties in advancing toward this vision, on 30 June 2017, I offered a framework of six points

to help clarify the differences on key issues. I urge the parties to constructively consider these

points.

37. While recent efforts to help establish terms of reference have not yet borne fruit, I still hold

out hope that the parties will use this opportunity to overcome the differences that persist. We

have seen the bright glimmer of hope before, including in the Joint Declaration of February

11, 2014 and in the parties’ willingness to come to Crans Montana in 2017. Equally, however,

we have seen our hopes dashed. All Cypriots deserve our commitment to make every effort

to support the parties to deliver on the vision of an island united in peace and security.

38. I recognize that widespread support for a horizon of endless process without result lies behind

us, not before us. There is consensus that an unchanging status quo — i.e., the lack of a

resolution to the Cyprus issue — is not sustainable. Therefore, I will request Ms. Lute to

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continue discussions on my behalf. The way ahead must be well prepared, with a sense of

urgency and focus. I urge the leaders and the Guarantor Powers to continue their constructive

engagement with Ms. Lute and with each other, as necessary, to establish the basis for

negotiations to be resumed. This engagement will need to be infused with a sense of purpose

and determination to reach a successful end within a foreseeable horizon.

39. In conclusion, I wish to thank my Deputy Special Adviser and the personnel serving in my

good offices mission in Cyprus for the dedication and commitment with which they have

discharged the responsibilities entrusted to them by the Security Council. I also wish to express

my appreciation to Ms. Lute for conducting the consultations entrusted to her.

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