United Nations Security Council Resolution 1873

by the United Nations

Adopted by the Security Council at its 6132nd meeting, on 29 May 2009

The Security Council,

Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 15 May 2009 (S/2009/248) 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 June 2009,

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 a rare 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,

Commending the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders for the political leadership they have shown, and warmly welcoming the progress made so far in the fully fledged negotiations, and the leaders’ joint statements,

Strongly urging the leaders to increase the momentum in the negotiations to ensure the full exploitation of this opportunity to reach a comprehensive settlement based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as set out in the relevant Security Council resolutions,

Emphasizing the importance attached by the international community of all parties engaging fully, flexibly and constructively in the negotiations, and looking forward to decisive progress in those negotiations in the near future,

Welcoming the intention of the Secretary-General to keep the Council informed of further development and progress,

Welcoming also the implementation of some of the confidence-building measures announced by the leaders, and calling for a renewed effort to implement the remaining measures and for 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, encouraging the opening by mutual agreement of other crossing points, noting the commitment in the leaders’ joint statements to pursue the opening of the Limnitis/Yesilirmak crossing point, encouraging implementation of the commitment to a second phase of the restoration of the Ledra Street crossing, and urging in this context the leaders to make every effort to implement those measures,

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 increased flexibility and compromise 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 Cypriot 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 stable, welcoming the decrease in the overall number of incidents involving the two sides and urging all sides to avoid any action, including restrictions on UNFICYP’s movements as noted in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2009/248), 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, and looking forward to the clearance of the remaining minefields,

Welcoming the progress and continuation of the important activities of the Committee on Missing Persons, echoing the Secretary-General’s call for every possible action to be taken to speed up the exhumation process, and trusting that this process will promote reconciliation between the communities,

Agreeing that active participation of civil society groups is essential to the political process and can contribute to making any future settlement sustainable, 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,

Stressing the need for the Council to pursue a rigorous, strategic approach to peacekeeping deployments,

Welcoming the intention of the Secretary-General to keep all peacekeeping operations, including those of UNFICYP, under close review and noting the importance of contingency planning in relation to the settlement, including recommendations as appropriate for further adjustments to UNFICYP’s mandate, force levels and concept of operations, taking into account developments on the ground and the views of the parties,

Welcoming the continued efforts of Alexander Downer as the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser 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 progress made so far in the fully fledged negotiations, and the prospect of further progress in the near future towards a comprehensive and durable settlement that this has created;

3. Urges full exploitation of this opportunity, including by intensifying the momentum of negotiations, improving the current atmosphere of trust and goodwill, and engaging in the process in a constructive and open manner;

4. Urges also the implementation of confidence-building measures, and looks forward to agreement on and implementation of further such steps, including the opening of other crossing points;

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 December 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, including on contingency planning in relation to the settlement, by 1 December 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 predeployment 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.