Today, civil society representatives, women and youth from across Cyprus met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Personal Envoy María Angela Holguín, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo and Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix to share their views, experiences and aspirations in the context of the Cyprus peace process.
The discussion highlighted the importance of ensuring that peace efforts are informed by diverse perspectives from across society. Women, young people and civil society actors bring valuable ideas, expertise and energy to the search for common ground and a shared future.
The Secretary-General has consistently called on the two leaders to ensure greater engagement and consultation with civil society, including women’s organizations and youth, as part of efforts to advance the peace process and future negotiation.
The Personal Envoy has personally devoted time to listen to civil society at large in order to understand the vision of political actors from across the political spectrum, academia, the private sector, think tanks, as well as of the people of the island, with the understanding that inclusivity brings greater resilience, ownership and legitimacy to a process, while preparing societies for compromise.
During her previous two visits to the island, USG DiCarlo has stressed the importance of engaging women and young people, and advocated for the establishment of a Technical Committee on Youth, which took place in 2025.
Meaningful participation strengthens dialogue, builds trust and helps create solutions that respond to the needs and aspirations of communities. Today's exchange was a reminder that inclusive diplomacy is not only about being heard—it is about helping shape pathways to peace.
The UN Secretary-General’s Good Offices Mission in Cyprus is a stand-alone special political mission on the island that supports senior United Nations leadership, including the Personal Envoy on Cyprus, in carrying out the good offices mandate and working towards a sustainable settlement of the Cyprus issue.
