Cyprus remains cautiously optimistic that the current round of negotiations, under the auspices of the Good Offices of the UN Secretary-General, will finally lead to a successful outcome, on the basis of relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and in line with the principles of the European Union, Cypriot Ambassador Nicholas Emiliou has told the Security Council.
“Based on my own country’s experience as a case in point, we fully share the assessment, that, at times, the UN has failed to live up to the expectations of the world’s peoples”, Cyprus` Permanent Representative to the UN, Emiliou has said in his address at the Security Council open debate, entitled `The Respect to the Principles and Purposes of the Charter of the United Nations as Key Element for the Maintenance of International Peace and Security`.
Ambassador Emiliou pointed that Cyprus, which joined the United Nations immediately following its independence from British colonial rule in 1960, attaches utmost importance to the UN Charter, which it considers to be the foundation stone of international law.
“Cyprus has since remained a steadfast supporter of the Organization and the international legal framework it provides, despite having witnessed firsthand, from a victim’s standpoint, several violations of the UN Charter, including Article 1.1 on international peace and security, Article 2.1 regarding the sovereignty of states and Article 2.4 on the non-use of force. There are several Security Council and General Assembly Resolutions validating these violations, including GA Resolutions 3212(XXIX) and 3395(XXX) and Security Council Resolutions 353(1974), 365(1974), 541(1983), and 550(1984),” he noted.
Emiliou said that despite the numerous resolutions and repeated efforts to resolve the Cyprus Question over the years, the situation has remained unchanged since 1974, with 37% of the island’s territory still under foreign occupation.
Nevertheless, he added, “we need to look into the future and in this regard, we remain cautiously optimistic that the current round of negotiations, under the auspices of the Good Offices of the UN Secretary-General, will finally lead to a successful outcome, on the basis of relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and in line with the principles of the European Union.”
He stressed that for that successful outcome to materialize, all parties involved need to acknowledge and assume their responsibilities, as well as come to realize that unproductive persistence in colonial era remnants has no place in today’s world.
After quoting various phrases from the UN Charter that call for ‘saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war’, ‘reaffirming fundamental human rights’, ‘justice and respect for international law’, ‘promoting better standards of life’, ‘living together in peace’, he concluded by saying that “these principles should be our guiding light, not only in the case of Cyprus, but everywhere in the world where problems continue to exist.”
CNA AZ/MM/2016
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY