The UN Secretary-General`s Special Representative in Cyprus and Deputy Special Adviser, Elizabeth Spehar addressed a reception on 22 September marking the

completion of the UN Youth Champions Programme for Environment and Peace 2021, organized by the UN in Cyprus together with the British Council and the COOPower project. UNFICYP and the Good Offices mission worked together on the Programme that saw 25 young Cypriots attend and the participation of the Technical Committee on the Environment in certain sessions as well.  Connecting the event to the celebration of the International Day of Peace, SRSG/DSASG Spehar said in her speech that in order to solve the Cyprus problem in a sustainable way, it was her view that all citizens needed to help and that certainly the United Nations believed “that young people in particular have a crucial role to play." 

In addition to the Youth Champions, the event was attended by the UK Deputy High Commissioner to Cyprus and the Director of the British Council in Cyprus, who also addressed participants. The Co-chairs of the Technical Committee on the Environment were also present at the reception, as were officials from the UN Good Offices mission and UNFICYP. 

Addressing the youth who participated in the Programme, SRSG/DSASG Spehar told them that every effort that they “put towards environment and peace, towards reconciliation, towards understanding the views and the aspirations of young people from the other side, this is all an extra stepping stone towards a sustainable peace”. SRSG/DSASG Spehar also noted that climate change is one of the very serious worldwide challenges to which the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, referred while speaking during the opening of the UN General

Assembly session taking place this week in New York.  Finally, the UN official underlined the need for collective action to address the current challenges and resolve conflicts around the world.