The pace has quickened at the United Nations Good Offices Mission in Cyprus as final preparations are completed for the visit of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
Behind the scenes, teams are working at full pace to bring together the many elements required for the visit. Following days of coordination and detailed planning, the Mission is preparing to welcome the Secretary-General and support his engagements on the island.
Today, after seeing the two leaders in separate bilateral meetings, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Ms. María Ángela Holguín, said to gathered media that the purpose of the Secretary-General's visit is to facilitate dialogue and encourage the people and the two leaders to look forward towards negotiations, expressing hope that the visit would help generate progress.
With the Secretary-General’s arrival quickly approaching, attention is now focused on the opportunity for direct engagement with the two leaders and their teams -- and the Secretary-General's other meetings on the island, including with the co-chairs of the Technical Committees and members of civil society, including women and youth.
The Mission of the Secretary-General’s Good Offices in Cyprus (GOM-Cyprus) is a special political mission under the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. With a mandate that goes back to the Security Council requesting that the Secretary-General use his good offices in Cyprus in its resolution 186 (1964), the UN Good Offices Mission supports the work and initiatives of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy on Cyprus. The UN Good Offices Mission also facilitates the 13 Technical Committees, supporting regular dialogue that helps resolve conflict, improve the daily lives of Cypriots and also increase trust between the two communities.
