UN mission carries low expectations
Source: in-cyprus.com
The meeting between UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar is drawing closer, scheduled for the third week of September.
In preparation, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy María Ángel Holguín Cuéllar is currently in Cyprus, attempting to achieve progress ahead of the New York meeting. Or perhaps to lay the groundwork for some announcements to be made in New York following the talks. Even the most optimistic observers do not expect any breakthrough to emerge.
Her task is challenging, but worth another attempt. What matters, as we have noted many times, is that the parameters are set in their proper dimension. They must address realities—not those which the occupying side wishes to impose, but those grounded in international law and human rights. This should, after all, be the United Nations’ mission.
As is well known, the last informal Five-Party Conference held this past July produced some decisions on implementing specific, low-level political measures. There appears to have been little significant progress in this area. What seems to have been accomplished is the cleaning of cemeteries.
Expectations are not set high, as there is a view that in light of the so-called elections in the occupied territories scheduled for 19 October, the Turkish side will take no steps until then. This, however, is not entirely accurate.
Occupying Turkey does not determine policy based on who leads the illegal entity. While the “candidates” may certainly operate with pre-electoral calculations, the substance lies in Ankara’s decisions.
We genuinely hope this visit by María Ángel Holguín Cuéllar will create new dynamics. We hope so, though we consider it unlikely. This is, after all, the United Nations’ own assessment. They do not believe anything will emerge from this visit, nor from the New York meeting.
We must, however, highlight the significant issue concerning the international organisation’s longstanding approach to the Cyprus problem.
As long as the United Nations adopts a logic of equidistance—which invariably works against the Greek Cypriot side and in favour of the occupying power—no forward steps will be taken. Backward steps are taken instead. This logic does nothing to assist efforts on Cyprus. It emboldens the occupying side.
The original article: belongs to in-cyprus.com .
