We have a moment of opportunity to resolve the Cyprus problem Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, Colin Stewart said in his opening remarks at an event at Ledra Palace, in Nicosia’s Buffer Zone, on Wednesday afternoon.
The event was dedicated to the role of Civil Society in keeping peace, on the anniversary of 60 years since the UN mandate on the establishment of UNFICYP.
‘We have a moment of opportunity. There is still a lot that has to be done. But as small as it might be, we have an opportunity’, he said.
Stewart noted that Turkey and Greece ‘are having a moment and that’s helpful’, adding that it doesn’t mean that it’s going to solve the problem, ‘but it’s so much better than the opposite’. In addition to that, he said, ‘we have Greek Cypriots that are pushing for negotiations. That is not something that in the past we could have taken for granted’, he added, repeating that neither this means that the problem will be solved.
Furthermore, he underlined th
at we now have an envoy for the first time in seven years, since the failure in Crans Montana. ‘And that alone is a tremendous opportunity. It doesn’t mean the problem is going to be solved but it means that this is a moment we can make out something of, if we want to’.
Speaking of UN’s Secretary General personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguín Cuellar, he said that she has a wonderful experience in bringing the war in Colombia in conclusions. ‘I am very impressed by her and I think she has very good ideas and motivation’.
‘We have to seize whatever opportunities we have, however small’, he further stressed, as ‘we don’t know if there is going to be another opportunity’. He highlighted that we’ve waited seven years for this one. ‘So, I know how hard you have all worked and how tired you are, but it’s now or never. This is the time to put all of your efforts into moving things into a solution’, he told the representatives of the Civil Society attending the event.
‘It’s one of the ironies of Cyprus”, he continue
d. “There is a majority that wants this problem to be resolved in a mutually acceptable way. That means by definition through negotiations, through compromise, through win-win, through something that is good enough to everyone. And that’s going to require political courage and you know that is of a short supply. So, you can help give the courage. Say “we will support you if you make the tough decisions”. I have been quoting the Secretary General, when he said that leadership is all about compromise. It takes a leader to make tough decisions. And to make these a bit easier, they’ll need the support of the population”, Stewart said, adding that most of the substance of the Cyprus problem has, one way or another, been discussed and converged.
The role of Civil Society towards a solution
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The Special Representative, said that Holguín strongly believes that Civil Society is ‘absolutely crucial’ and that she is dedicated to make sure that Civil Society has a voice, ‘and that’s another eleme
nt of the opportunity’, as he said.
Stewart added that he thinks that Civil Society has a key role to play in the ability to reconcile histories. ‘If you see at WW2, one of the things that cemented peace, was the agreement between France and Germany to collaborate on a common text. At some point, Cyprus is going to have to do that. Either now, to build conditions for a solution, or after. One way or another, this has to be done, because it will continue to be an obstacle’, he underlined.
He also added that Civil society has a lot to offer in the technical committees and ‘we should look how to increase’ this interaction. ‘We have proposed a new technical committee on youth, as well as having young people in the technical committees’, he noted.
He noted that the 60-year anniversary is not a celebration. ‘There is no way that we can be proud of the fact that we have been here for 60 years’, he said, adding that UNFICYP has not been able to fulfill its mandate. ‘The purpose of a peace-keeping mission is to hel
p solve the problem and then get out. We certainly haven’t finished it’, he said.
Nonetheless, he continued, this anniversary reminds us that this conflict has gone unresolved for 60 long years. Let’s use this opportunity to remind people that we should all be appalled that this situation is dragging on and maybe we can help motivate’.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.
Source: Cyprus News Agency