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DE RUEHC #0488 3470247
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P R 120239Z DEC 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0000
INFO UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
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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