S/PV.7370 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2015/60, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2015/17, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations operation in Cyprus. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I should like to inform the Council that the presidency of the Council has met with the representatives of the parties, who have confirmed that they maintain their well-known positions vis-à-vis the item on the Council’s agenda. On the basis of those meetings, with the consent of the members of the Council, the presidency has drawn the conclusion that the Council can proceed to take a decision on the draft resolution before it. If I hear no objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2197 (2015). I shall now give the floor to the members of the Council who wish to make statements following the adoption of the resolution.

The Russian Federation supports the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, which plays an important role in maintaining peace and stability on the island. That is why we voted in favour of resolution 2197 (2015). At the same time, we would like to note that the resolution contains several flaws, first and foremost the lack of readiness of the authors to heed the view of the majority of the members of the Security Council with regard to the issue of renewing intercommunal negotiations. We have a number of serious questions concerning the way in which the work of the penholders was organized, including the delayed consultations on a contentious draft text. Therefore, the time crunch was detrimental to the resolution.

Spain welcomes the adoption of resolution 2197 (2015). In spite of differences during the negotiations, the main purpose of the resolution — to renew the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) — has been achieved. Any step taken towards finding a solution to this issue will always have Spain’s support. Spain appreciates the commendable work done by UNFICYP. I would also like to reiterate my country’s resolute support for the good offices of the Secretary- General through his Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide and his renewed efforts to reach an agreement to bring an end to a problem that has lasted for much too long and is affecting an island that is part of the European Union. Spain urges removing all obstacles and resuming negotiations as soon as possible with a view to finding a path towards a solution of this issue.

France voted in favour of resolution 2197 (2015), prepared by the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom, which renews the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). We believe that the role of UNFICYP is crucial. By preventing a resumption of fighting and by contributing to maintaining order and a return to normal life, the Force strengthens trust between the communities and contributes to the overall efforts of the United Nations to support negotiations between Cypriots. In particular, UNFICYP contributes to facilitating the good offices mission of the Special Adviser aimed at reunification under a bicommunal and bi-zonal federation with political equality. It is therefore crucial that the mission’s mandate has been renewed. Another essential aspect of the work of the Force is to support the humanitarian efforts of the Committee on Missing Persons on behalf of the victims’ families. As the resolution notes in its preambular section, 50 years after they disappeared, half of all the missing have yet to be located and more than 70 per cent have yet to be identified. Given those statistics and the advanced age of the parents of the disappeared, France is committed to seeing the Committee’s work move at a faster pace through closer cooperation and speedier approval of requests for access to all the areas concerned. Following the positive momentum resulting from the signing, on 11 February 2014, of a joint statement by leaders of the two communities, it is regrettable that intercommunal negotiations have stalled. It is important that the negotiations resume in order to find a comprehensive solution as soon as possible, based on agreed principles. Along with the Secretary-General, France underscores the importance of a conducive environment to move the negotiations forward. As the Force begins its fifty-first year of existence, I would like to reiterate France’s commitment to a resolution of the Cyprus issue. We commend the tireless efforts to that end by Ms. Lisa Buttenheim, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and by Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide. We reiterate to them our full support.

The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.