The United Nations Security Council has extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for another six months until the 31st of July 2022.
The 15 member UN Security Council unanimously adopted the resolution extending UNFICYP’s duty on the island for a further 6 months.
The Peace Corps in Cyprus, is one of the longest serving peacekeeping missions of the UN and has been on the island since 1964.
The Council called on the leaders of the two Cypriot communities and all involved parties to refrain from any actions and rhetoric that might damage the settlement process and that could raise tensions on the island.
It also expressed concern over tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, and underlined that disputes should be resolved peacefully, in accordance with applicable international law.
The Security Council, noted that the UN’s position that a ‘just settlement’ should be based on ‘a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality’, called on the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to submit by 5 July a report on his good offices, in particular on progress towards reaching a consensus starting point for meaningful, results-oriented negotiations leading to a settlement.
In his report covering 9th of July 2021 and 15th of December 2021, Guterres stated that confidence in a negotiated solution in Cyprus has decreased between the parties, but that in the absence of full-fledged negotiations, the parties must maintain dialogue and rapprochement to “keep the hope of the people alive”.