VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHC #0488 3470247
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 120239Z DEC 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0000
INFO UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0000
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0000
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 0000
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0000
UNCLAS STATE 130488
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO GR TU CY
SUBJECT: UNFICYP MANDATE ADOPTION, DECEMBER 12, 2008
1. (U) USUN is instructed to join consensus on the text
below during the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)
resolution adoption scheduled for December 12, 2008.
Begin text.
The Security Council,
Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 28
November 2008 (S/2008/744) on the United Nations operation
in Cyprus,
Noting that the Government of Cyprus is agreed that in
view of the prevailing conditions on the island it is
necessary to keep the United Nations Peacekeeping force in
Cyprus (UNFICYP) beyond 15 December 2008,
Echoing the Secretary-General's firm belief that the
responsibility for finding a solution lies first and
foremost with the Cypriots themselves, stressing that
there now exists an unprecedented opportunity to make
decisive progress, and reaffirming the primary role of the
United Nations in assisting the parties to bring the
Cyprus conflict and division of the island to a
comprehensive and durable settlement,
Welcoming the launch of fully fledged negotiations on 3
September 2008, the progress made so far, and the leaders'
joint statements,
Emphasizing the importance of all parties engaging fully,
flexibly and constructively in those negotiations, in
order to make decisive progress towards a comprehensive
settlement based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation with
political equality, as set out in the relevant Security
Council resolutions,
Encouraging continued momentum in negotiations and the
maintenance of goodwill and trust, looking forward to
substantive progress and the full exploitation of the
current opportunity, commending the Greek and Turkish
Cypriot leaders for the political leadership they have
shown so far, and welcoming the intention of the
Secretary-General to keep the Council informed of further
development and progress,
Welcoming the announcement of confidence building measures
and the cancellation of military exercises, and looking
forward to the implementation of these measures and
agreement on and implementation of further steps to build
trust between the communities,
Reaffirming the importance of continued crossings of the
Green Line by Cypriots, reiterating its welcome for the
opening of the Ledra Street crossing, encouraging the
opening by mutual agreement of other crossing points, and
noting in this context the commitment in the leaders'
joint statements to pursue the opening of the
Limnitis/Yesilirmak crossing point,
Convinced of the many important benefits for all Cypriots
that would flow from a comprehensive and durable Cyprus
settlement, and encouraging both sides clearly to explain
these benefits, as well as the need for flexibility in
order to secure them, to both communities well in advance
of any eventual referenda,
Highlighting the supportive role the international
community will continue to play in helping the Greek and
Turkish Cypriot leaders to exploit fully the current
opportunity,
Taking note of the assessment of the Secretary-General
that the security situation on the island and along the
Green Line remains generally stable, welcoming the
decrease in the overall number of incidents involving the
two sides and urging both sides to avoid any action,
including restrictions on UNFICYP's movements, which could
lead to an increase in tension, undermine the good
progress achieved so far, or damage the goodwill on the
island,
Recalling the Secretary-General's firm belief that the
situation in the buffer zone would be improved if both
sides accepted the 1989 aide memoire used by the United
Nations,
Welcoming the progress made in proceeding with demining
activities, echoing the Secretary's General's call for the
remaining minefields to be cleared, and noting with
concern that funding is urgently required by the Mine
Action Centre beyond 2008 to allow this work to continue
beyond that period,
Welcoming the progress and continuation of the important
activities of the Committee on Missing Persons, and
trusting that this process will promote reconciliation
between the communities,
Agreeing that an active and flourishing civil society is
essential to the political process, welcoming all efforts
to promote bicommunal contacts and events including, inter
alia, on the part of all United Nations bodies on the
island, and urging the two sides to promote the active
engagement of civil society and the encouragement of
cooperation between economic and commercial bodies and to
remove all obstacles to such contacts,
Reaffirming the importance of the Secretary-General
continuing to keep the operations of UNFICYP under close
review while continuing to take into account developments
on the ground and the views of the parties, and reverting
to the Council with recommendations as appropriate for
further adjustments to UNFICYP's mandate, force levels and
concept of operation as soon as warranted,
Welcoming the appointment of Alexander Downer as the
Secretary-General's Special Advisor with a mandate to
assist the parties in the conduct of fully-fledged
negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive
settlement,
Echoing also the Secretary-General's gratitude to the
Government of Cyprus and the Government of Greece for their
voluntary contributions to the funding of UNFICYP, and his
request for further voluntary contributions from other
countries
and organizations,
Welcoming and encouraging efforts by the United Nations to
sensitize peacekeeping personnel in the prevention and control
of HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases in all its
peacekeeping operations,
1. Welcomes the analysis of developments on the ground
over the last six months in the Secretary-General's
report, in accordance with his mandate;
2. Welcomes also the launch of fully fledged negotiations
on 3 September 2008, and the prospect of a comprehensive
and durable settlement that this has created;
3. Urges full exploitation of this opportunity, including
by intensifying the momentum of negotiations, preserving
the current atmosphere of trust and goodwill, and engaging
in the process in a constructive and open manner;
4. Welcomes the announcement on confidence-building
measures and the cancellation of military exercises, and
looks forward to these measures being fully implemented as
well as to agreement on further such steps, including the
possible opening of other crossing points, as mentioned in
the leaders' joint statements;
5. Reaffirms all its relevant resolutions on Cyprus, in
particular resolution 1251 (1999) of 29 June 1999 and
subsequent resolutions;
6. Expresses its full support for UNFICYP and decides to
extend its mandate for a further period ending 15 June
2009;
7. Calls on both sides to continue to engage, as a matter
of urgency and while respecting UNFICYP's mandate, in
consultations with UNFICYP on the demarcation of the
buffer zone, and on the United Nations 1989 aide-memoire,
with a view to reaching early agreement on outstanding
issues;
8. Calls on the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkish forces to
restore in Strovilia the military status quo which existed
there prior to 30 June 2000;
9. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report on
implementation of this resolution by 1 June 2009 and to
keep the Security Council updated on events as necessary;
10. Welcomes the efforts being undertaken by UNFICYP to
implement the Secretary-General's zero tolerance policy on
sexual exploitation and abuse and to ensure full
compliance of its personnel with the United Nations code
of conduct, requests the Secretary-General to continue to
take all necessary action in this regard and to keep the
Security Council informed, and urges troop-contributing
countries to take appropriate preventive action including
the conduct of pre-deployment awareness training, and to
take disciplinary action and other action to ensure full
accountability in cases of such conduct involving their
personnel;
11. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
End text.
RICE