More civilian police, 6-month extension recommended for UN mission in Cyprus3 June – Though conditions in Cyprus have improved somewhat - with continued calm along ceasefire lines and the easing of restrictions at some Turkish Cypriot crossing points - United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has requested that the mandate of the UN mission in the country be extended until the end of the year.
In his latest report to the Security Council on the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), the Secretary-General stresses that under current conditions, the mission's continued presence on the island is necessary for the maintenance of the ceasefire between the two sides and that its mandate should be extended until 15 December.
Mr. Annan notes that in the last week of April, the Turkish Cypriot authorities opened a crossing point to the public for travel in both directions - the first such opening in almost three decades. Additional crossing points were opened in the following days.
The first week, around 140,000 Greek Cypriots crossed to the north and 34,000 Turkish Cypriots went in the opposite direction. Since then the average number of crossings has stabilized to about 13,000 people per day.
The UN Force, especially its civilian police component, has been active in ensuring a safe and orderly crossing of people and vehicles through the UN buffer zone. UN engineers have also worked to improve the roads. To face these additional duties, Mr. Annan recommends that the current police force of 35, be augmented by up to 34 more officers.
Still, the Secretary-General emphasizes that recent developments are not a substitute for a comprehensive settlement. "It seems highly unlikely that such a settlement can be achieved without the genuine political commitment to the proposal I put forward and a firm timetable to finalize negotiations," he says.
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