Nicosia: UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, expressed strong support for the work of the bicommunal technical committees during his latest visit to Cyprus, Michalis Loizides, the Greek Cypriot chair of the Technical Committee on Environment, told CNA.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Loizides pointed out the need for further utilization and promotion of the Committees' work, highlighting the particularly good climate established among the Committees' members from both communities. The members of the committees met with UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in the presence of the head of UNFICYP and Special Representative, Kasim Diagne, as well as the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General, Maria Angela Holguin.
During the meeting, Loizides says, UN officials referred to the need for developing cooperation between the communities as a basis for promoting a resolution for the Cyprus issue, while also highlighting confidence-building measures (CBMs) as crucial in demonstrating intent to achieve a solution. "The UNSG sees CBMs as an indication of the leaders' willingness to cooperate, which is a prerequisite for the coexistence of the two communities," Loizides told CNA, adding that this cooperation is currently manifested through the technical committees.
He further said that during the Secretary-General's visit to Cyprus, there were positive developments, as the Committees received approval from the political leadership and the negotiators for a series of actions. "Contacts through the technical committees have created the ground for effective management of joint problems," Loizides explained, emphasizing that the work of the committees is not of a political nature but is carried out at the level of civil society and contributes to maintaining the momentum for achieving a solution. He also highlighted the importance of the sincerity and selfless disposition that characterizes the volunteers participating in the committees from both communities.
The positive results in the efforts that have already been made to address environmental threats, demonstrate the importance of cooperation, Loizides noted. He referred to the results of two actions that aimed at the elimination of plant diseases. A joint effort to introduce an insect that acts as a natural enemy of a pest affecting citrus fruits had results beyond expectations, Loizides said, ensuring that the pest population has remained below alarm thresholds for a year, thereby securing Cyprus fruit exports.
A similar effort is underway to combat the pest that attacks prickly pear plants. For the past three months, an insect has also been introduced as a natural enemy of the pest in this case. Although its population has not significantly increased so far, it appears to be still present throughout Cyprus and is being monitored. Loizides also mentioned that the UN are looking into the creation of a GIS (geographic information system) digital platform for recording and monitoring plant diseases throughout Cyprus.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended inconclusively. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. Mara Angela Holgun, Guterres' Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.