The UN Secretary General’s Report on his Mission of Good Offices in Cyprus: A Window for Reunification Settlement ‘Closing’

The UN’s patience with Cyprus, divided since 1974, is beginning to run out. The Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders have made little progress over reunification in the last two years of negotiations. Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General, warns that a ‘critical window of opportunity is rapidly closing’ and the negotiations run the risk of ‘foundering fatally’.

The toughly worded report, produced after 88 meetings between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, says progress has been ‘frustratingly slow’ and few of the confidence-building measures agreed have been implemented. The property question remains the most complex and contentious issue. Ban Ki-moon urged the leaders to bring to their meeting with him in January a practical plan for overcoming the points of disagreement. The idea of partition, in the absence of a settlement, is no longer such a taboo.