New york: The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Cyprus and head of the peacekeeping force on the island (UNFICYP), Khassim Diagne, is currently in New York to engage in crucial discussions at the UN headquarters and to brief the UN Security Council, CNA has learnt.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Diagne is scheduled to provide a briefing this week to representatives from the troop and police contributing countries. On January 15, he will address the UN Security Council with insights from the latest reports by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres concerning his Good Offices mission in Cyprus and UNFICYP.
Diagne is also slated to hold discussions with the UN Secretary-General and Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix. The Security Council is expected to vote on January 29 on the renewal of UNFICYP's mandate for another year.
In parallel, the Security Council's January Forecast outlines proposed structural and program realignments for the Office of the Special Adviser on Cyprus, which would lead to a budget reduction of $1.2 million for 2026. This includes the proposed elimination of eight positions, including the Special Adviser role at the Under-Secretary-General level, due to the absence of formal negotiations since 2017 and the subsequent appointment of the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus to continue efforts initiated in Geneva in 2025.
Competent sources reveal that the Special Adviser position has remained vacant since Espen Barth Eide's departure in 2017. The potential reduction of seven civilian posts in the Good Offices is anticipated, which currently provide administrative support to Technical Committees, raising concerns about the Office's activities.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 following Turkey's invasion and occupation of its northern third. Despite numerous UN-led peace talks, a resolution remains elusive, primarily due to Turkish intransigence. The last significant negotiations in 2017 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, ended without success.
In 2025, the Secretary-General convened two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and July in New York, with a tripartite meeting with Cyprus leaders occurring in late September during the UN General Assembly High Level Week. A broader informal meeting is anticipated later this year.
Mara Angela Holgun, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, continues her engagement with the parties, while former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, appointed as the Commission's Special Envoy for Cyprus, is also expected to assist in the settlement process in collaboration with Holgun.