?nly genuine progress towards reaching a consensus starting point for negotiations leading to a mutually acceptable settlement will reassure Cypriots as well as the international community that a peaceful and shared future on the island truly remains possible, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said in his report on his mission of Good Offices in Cyprus, an advance copy of which circulated late on Wednesday. 'In 2024, growing frustration at the continued status quo is felt by many across the island and voices are increasingly calling for the two sides to work constructively on a mutually acceptable way forward. The United Nations will continue to stand with all Cypriots to support them in dialogue in order to forge a common way forward,' Guterres says. He commends the resumption of meetings and discussions in the technical committees, especially those that had been dormant, the activities that took place and the approval of a number of projects and completion of others, including under the Technical Committees on Broadcasting, Crime and Criminal Matters, Crossings, Culture, Environment, and Health. 'The resumption of regular meetings of the Technical Committee on Education provides ground for hope that the recommendations contained in its 2017 joint report will be duly considered and relevant projects implemented as called for by the Security Council. Further empowerment of this Technical Committee and its important work is encouraged,' he notes. The UN SG continues to call 'on the two sides to provide the technical committees with the necessary support and leeway in order to preserve their ability to function, deliver results and address matters with island-wide implications.' 'Increased female and youth representation could inject a new drive into the work of the committees. These bodies, where both communities can discuss and address issues of common concern, should be protected and insulated from larger political discussions and problems in and adjacent to the buffer zone,' he says He calls on th e leaders and their representatives to ensure EU support through UNDP is 'well-utilized to the benefit of the daily lives of all Cypriots and urge the European Union to consider extending the availability of resources into the future.' EU support to other projects under discussion, such as the renewable solar energy power plant to be potentially located in the buffer zone, 'carries significant potential for bringing the two sides closer together for tangible benefits for all, should a mutually acceptable way forward be agreed.' 'The project to extend the Pedieos/Kanli Dere river path to north Nicosia similarly has significant meaningful potential to bring people from both sides closer together and build trust. In light of the two sides' agreement to take the project forward, I urge existing and potential future funders to move ahead and support the project with a sense of urgency,' Guterres says. He encourages the two leaders and their representatives 'to discuss, agree and implement mutually acceptable co nfidence-building measures that can help build trust and contribute to an environment more conducive to a settlement.' According to the UN Secretary General 'they should actively engage in discussions on existing cooperation proposals or new ideas; cooperate to jointly exploit and benefit from common natural resources, promote people-to-people contact, cooperation and trade, ensure current crossing points function effectively and open new ones. Significant gestures should also be given serious attention for the benefit of the communities and as a critical investment towards a mutually agreeable settlement.' 'I once again echo the Security Council's call for greater engagement with civil society and urge the two leaders to encourage contact and cooperation between the two communities. I call on the leaders to also aim for more inclusive cooperation and links between the two communities now, and ultimately in the peace process, and to effectively engage and involve women, minorities, youth, and persons with d isabilities in discussions related to a shared future on the island and incorporate their views accordingly.' He further urges the two sides 'to explore the concept of sports cooperation to bring young people together and foster interaction between the two communities. The formation of a technical committee in this regard remains a viable course of action.' On trade between the two communities Guterres reports that the period under review 'continued a trend observed in my last report with an increase in public events and official interactions designed to be used as catalysts to disseminate the message that expanding trade and business links, and ensuring the infrastructure and enabling conditions to support them, is one way to enhance confidence in a settlement.' 'Forging greater economic activity between the communities on the island not only makes good business sense but can also have important positive impacts on the lives of Cypriots and can pave the way towards a greater public acceptance of a mutuall y agreeable settlement in the future,' he points out. The UN SG further says that 'the actions by both parties in and adjacent to the buffer zone contributed to raising mistrust and are unhelpful in the current context.' 'The increasing militarization of both sides contradicts the political discourses of the leaders claiming to want a way forward on the Cyprus issue. I reiterate my call for both sides to refrain from such unilateral actions,' he adds. He also reiterates his 'concern over the situation in the fenced-off area of Varosha and note that the position of the United Nations on Varosha remains unchanged. I recall the decisions of the Security Council on the matter, notably resolutions 550 (1984) and 789 (1992), and I underscore the importance of adhering fully to those resolutions.' At the same time, he commends the governments of Greece and Turkey 'for their steadfast commitment to the promotion of peaceful neighbourly relations.' 'The commitment to pursuing channels of communication, despite th e prevailing disagreements, also serves as an example for the Cyprus issue. Considering the important role and responsibility that the guarantor powers Greece, Trkiye and the United Kingdom have in the Cyprus context, I encourage all of them to continue to urge the two leaders in Cyprus to engage in dialogue and to seek a mutually acceptable way forward with the required political will, creativity and openness to compromise,' he says. 'While underscoring the importance of the work of the technical committees, and the positive impact that confidence-building measures could have,' he notes, 'I believe that only genuine progress towards reaching a consensus starting point for negotiations leading to a mutually acceptable settlement will reassure Cypriots as well as the international community that a peaceful and shared future on the island truly remains possible.' 'I have maintained contact and dialogue with the parties, as has my Personal Envoy, my senior advisors at United Nations Headquarters, and my Deputy Special Adviser. In these efforts, I remain guided by relevant Security Council resolutions that have established United Nations parameters', he concludes. 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. Last January, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue. Source: Cyprus News Agency