The visit of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to Cyprus is underway, with his first full day on the island marked by separate meetings with the Greek Cypriot leader, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Tufan Erhürman.
Following days of intensive preparation by the United Nations Good Offices Mission in Cyprus, the focus has now shifted from planning to direct engagement. The Secretary-General met separately with both leaders earlier today as he began a wider programme of meetings on the island.
Upon arriving in Cyprus, the Secretary-General reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the Cypriot communities in their search for a comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the Cyprus issue.
“The UN cannot impose peace. Only Cypriots, through their leaders, can build it,” the Secretary-General said.
Alongside his meetings with the two leaders, the Secretary-General’s programme includes an engagement with the co-chairs of the 13 Technical Committees and meetings with representatives of civil society, including women and young people. These exchanges will provide an opportunity for the Secretary-General to hear directly about cooperation, trust-building initiatives and the perspectives of people from across the island. Among other senior UN officials, the Secretary-General’s delegation includes his Personal Envoy on Cyprus, María Angela Holguín, and the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, the latter on her third visit to the island.
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 1964 Security Council request that the Secretary-General use his good offices in Cyprus in its resolution 186, 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, improves the daily lives of Cypriots and increases trust between the two communities. The Mission acts to promote a peaceful solution and an agreed settlement on the island of Cyprus, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.
