Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 07-12-13

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] SECURITY COUNCIL - UNFICYP DRAFT RESOLUTION

[02] CYPRUS ALGERIA TERRORIST ATTACK CONDEMNATION

[03] SPOKESMAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

[01] SECURITY COUNCIL - UNFICYP DRAFT RESOLUTION

The document was agreed on Wednesday evening by the five permanent members of the Security Council and subsequently by the 15 during informal consultations which ended at the UN headquarters Thursday evening.

The draft resolution welcomes the analysis on developments on the ground over the last six months in the report of the Secretary-General of 3 December 2007 (S/2007/699) on the United Nations operation in Cyprus, in accordance with his mandate.

It contains strong references in support of a UN-brokered agreement in July last year and points to the need to implement it, while at the same time it notes that the upcoming year offers an important window of opportunity to make decisive progress towards a political settlement.

The resolution on Cyprus will be approved on Friday evening.

The content of the draft resolution is as follows:

The Security Council,

pp1 Welcoming the analysis on developments on the ground over the last six months in the report of the Secretary-General of 3 December 2007 (S/2007/699) on the United Nations operation in Cyprus, in accordance with his mandate,

pp2 Noting that the Government of Cyprus is agreed that in view of the prevailing conditions on the island it is necessary to keep UNFICYP beyond 15 December 2007,

pp3 Echoing the Secretary-Generals firm belief that the responsibility of finding a solution lies first and foremost with the Cypriots themselves, that the upcoming year offers an important window of opportunity to make decisive progress, which must be grasped by all parties, in the search for a comprehensive solution, and noting the primary role of the United Nations in assisting the parties to bring the Cyprus conflict and division of the island to a comprehensive and durable settlement,

pp4 Taking note of the assessment of the Secretary-General that the security situation on the island and along the Green Line remains generally stable, welcoming the decrease in the overall number of incidents involving the two sides, and urging both sides to avoid any action which could lead to an increase in tension,

pp5 Underlining that activity in the buffer zone, in particular proposals for large-scale commercial projects, which are not compatible with returning to normal conditions as expressed in the UNFICYP mandate and should not be at the expense of stability and security; reiterating the Secretary-Generals firm belief that the situation in the buffer zone would be improved if both sides accepted the 1989 aide-memoire used by the United Nations,

pp6 Welcoming the principles and decisions enshrined in the 8 July 2006 Agreement, stressing that a comprehensive settlement based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation and political equality, as set out in the relevant Security Council resolutions, is both desirable and possible and should not be further delayed,

pp7 Deploring the continued failure to date to implement the 8 July 2006 Agreement, and urging the leaders of both communities to act to start the process without delay in order to prepare the ground for fully-fledged negotiations leading to a comprehensive and durable settlement,

pp8 Welcoming the agreement to allow European Union funds to support demining activities; urging the rapid finalisation of the protocol between the relevant parties governing the remaining demining activities in order to complete demining of the buffer zone,

pp9 Welcoming the progress and continuation of the important activities of the Committee on Missing Persons; expressing the hope that this process will promote reconciliation between the communities,

pp10 Welcoming the proposed confidence building measures advanced by both sides, as a means of creating greater trust between the two communities and encouraging their early implementation; encouraging also progress on measures such as the opening of additional crossing points including, but not limited to, at Ledra Street, taking into account the arrangements already in place at existing crossing points, and reaffirming the importance of continued crossing of the Green Line by Cypriots,

pp11 Welcoming all efforts to promote bicommunal contacts and events, including, inter alia, on the part of all United Nations bodies on the island, urging the two sides to promote the active engagement of civil society and the encouragement of cooperation between economic and commercial bodies and to remove all obstacles to such contacts,

pp12 Agreeing that an active and flourishing civil society is essential to the political process and expressing concern, in this respect, that opportunities for constructive public debate about the future of the island, within and between the communities, are becoming fewer, and that this atmosphere is hampering, in particular, efforts to foster bicommunal activities intended to benefit all Cypriots, and to promote reconciliation and build trust in order to facilitate a comprehensive settlement,

pp13 Reaffirming the importance of the Secretary-General continuing to keep the operations of UNFICYP under close review while continuing to take into account developments on the ground and the views of the parties, and reverting to the Council with recommendations as appropriate for further adjustments to UNFICYPs mandate, force levels and concept of operation as soon as warranted,

PP14 Welcoming the steps taken by the Republic of Cyprus to address the living conditions of many UNFICYP troops,

Pp15 Echoing the Secretary-Generals gratitude to the Government of Cyprus and the Government of Greece for their voluntary contributions to the funding of UNFICYP, and his request for further voluntary contributions from other countries and organizations,

pp16 Welcoming and encouraging efforts by the United Nations to sensitize peacekeeping personnel in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases in all its peacekeeping operations,

1. Welcomes the analysis on developments on the ground over the last six months in the Secretary-Generals report, in accordance with his mandate;

2. Reaffirms that the status quo is unacceptable, that time is not on the side of a settlement, and that negotiations to reunify the island have been at an impasse for too long;

3. Expresses full support for the 8 July process, notes with deep concern the lack of any progress, and calls upon all parties immediately to engage constructively with the United Nations efforts, as described in Under-Secretary-General Gambaris letter of 15 November 2006 and to cease mutual recriminations; Urges all parties to show flexibility and political will over the coming months to make measurable progress which will allow fully fledged negotiations to begin,

4 Reaffirms all its relevant resolutions on Cyprus, in particular resolution 1251 (1999) of 29 June 1999 and subsequent resolutions;

5. Expresses its full support for UNFICYP and decides to extend its mandate for a further period ending 15 June 2008;

6. Calls on both sides to continue to engage, as a matter of urgency and while respecting UNFICYPs mandate, in consultations with UNFICYP on the demarcation of the buffer zone, in particular in relation to the Ledra Street crossing point, and on the United Nations 1989 aide-memoire, with a view to reaching early agreement on outstanding issues;

7. Calls on the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkish forces to restore in Strovilia the military status quo which existed there prior to 30 June 2000;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report on implementation of this resolution by 1 June 2008;

9. Welcomes the efforts being undertaken by UNFICYP to implement the Secretary-Generals zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and to ensure full compliance of its personnel with the United Nations code of conduct, requests the Secretary-General to continue to take all necessary action in this regard and to keep the Security Council informed, and urges troop-contributing countries to take appropriate preventive action including the conduct of predeployment awareness training, and to take disciplinary action and other action to ensure full accountability in cases of such conduct involving their personnel;

10. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

[02] CYPRUS ALGERIA TERRORIST ATTACK CONDEMNATION

An official statement said the government of the Republic of Cyprus strongly condemns the terrorist attacks on 11 December in Algiers, which killed a large number of people and wounded dozens more.

[03] SPOKESMAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Replying to questions, Government Spokesman Vasilis Palmas said the cartel includes various business people who are directing illegal immigrants from various countries, including Syria, to the free areas of the Republic via the occupied areas at a price which unfortunate and poor people are asked to pay.

This, he said, is done at a private and business level and not at a government level.

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