7496th Security Council Meeting on the situation in Cyprus

Security Council Extends Peacekeeping Force Mandate in Cyprus, Urging Both Parties to Continue Talks on Demarcation of Buffer Zone

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 00:03:42
• Production Date: 29 July 2015
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS - UNFICYP
• Subject Topical: PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
• Geographic Subject: CYPRUS
• MAMS Id: 1411442
• Parent Id: 1410962

Description

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 January 2016, welcoming resumed negotiations between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders to reach a comprehensive settlement.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2234 (2015), the 15-nation body also urged the implementation of confidence-building measures and looked forward to agreement on further steps, including military confidence-building measures and the opening of other crossing points, that could contribute to a conducive environment for a settlement.

Further by the text, the Council called on both sides to continue to engage, as a matter of urgency, in consultations with UNFICYP on the demarcation of the buffer zone and on the United Nations 1989 aide-memoire, with a view to reaching early agreement on outstanding issues. It also called on the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkish forces to restore the military status quo in Strovilia which existed there before 30 June 2000.

Established in 1964 to prevent further fighting between the two communities on the island, UNFICYP is one of the longest-running United Nations peacekeeping missions.