The report on the Good Offices mission of the UN Secretary-General “speaks for itself”, said Aleem Siddique, the Spokesperson for the peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
Asked by CNA to comment on the report, after excerpts of an advance copy were published by various media last week, Siddique said “this is a report of the Secretary-General and it speaks for itself. We have no further comment to add to what the report already makes clear”.
According to the UNFICYP Spokesperson, the report has been received by members of the Security Council, who will take it into consideration together with the Secretary-General’s report on UNFICYP in July.
He noted that Elizabeth Spehar, the UNSG Deputy Special Adviser on Cyprus and Special Representative of the peacekeeping mission, remains in constant contact with both sides and continues her contacts with political parties, to listen to the issues and concerns raised with her.
According to the advance copy of the Secretary-General’s report on the progress made towards a settlement in Cyprus, António Gutteres intends to send a senior United Nations official in the coming period, to conduct in-depth consultations with the parties in Cyprus.
He also notes the various statements made by both sides in Cyprus, suggesting that the leaders had diverging interpretations of certain aspects of the framework he introduced in Crans Montana, last year. “The consultations which I intend to launch through a senior UN official in the coming weeks will provide an opportunity for the sides to formally clarify where they stand on this issue” he stresses.
As CNA learns, the report on the Good Offices Mission and the UNFICYP report are expected to be published in early July. Elizabeth Spehar, is expected to brief the Security Council on July 17. The Security Council is then expected to renew UNFICYP’s mandate by July 31. Before that, Spehar will be briefing the troop-contributing countries and the police-contributing countries for UNFICYP, at UN Headquarters in New York.
