United Nations Security Council Resolution 1728
Resolution 1728 of the UN Security Council has adopted a resolution on Cyprus, adopted unanimously on 15 December 2006 at its 5593rd session of the United Nations Security Council.
With the resolution the Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus ( UNFICYP ) until 15 June 2007. UNFICYP is the third oldest active peace mission of the United Nations and observed the peace process between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot side.
With the resolution of the Security Council welcomed the report of the UN Secretary-General on 1 December on the work of UNFICYP (document S/2006/931 ) and noted that the Cypriot government the extension of the UNFICYP mandate on December 15, 2006 also has agreed.
The Security Council also took note that the situation on the Green Line remained calm, as well as the general situation remains stable and welcomed the fact that the number of incidents is declining.
The resolution urged both sides to refrain from such actions that may lead to an increase in tensions and expressly mentions military exercises. In this context, the Security Council expressed its concern about growing disagreement as civilian activities including agriculture in the buffer zone and encouraged both sides, which include respecting the mandate of UNFICYP negotiations on the label of the zone and an agreement on the operations of UNFICYP in the zone complete view of the ancillary memorandum of 1989.
The Panel expressed his satisfaction with the performance of Under Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari made in achieving the agreement of 8 July 2006, with the vertices of this Agreement. The agreement consensus had been reached about the fact that the current status quo permanently is not acceptable and that a comprehensive solution - according to the previous UN resolutions - by a federation of two regions with equal political representation desired, possible and so they will not be delayed should. At the same time, the Council was disappointed that the Secretary-General had noted in his report that a lack of trust between the two sides would have to implement the agreement delayed.
The Security Council welcomed the progress made in helping with the removal of landmines and supports the efforts of UNFICYP to extend this operation on the mine fields that were created by the Turkish armed forces, and is delighted at the prospect of the buffer zone, within two years for mine-free to explain.
The Council reiterated its attitude to the fact that the problem of missing persons must be addressed seriously and urgently, welcomed the resumption of the activities of the Committee on Missing Persons and the progress that has been there done since August 2004 and the appointment of a third member by the Secretary-General.
In the resolution, the peaceful Greek Cypriots out in the north and Turkish Cypriots are welcomed in the south and the opening of additional crossing points, including both the Ledra Street.
However, the Security Council in resolution regretted that the bilateral meetings were less and thus the opportunities have been curtailed to advance the reconciliation and the building of trust between the two sides.
The Security Council confirmed the importance of further close monitoring of the mission, while also developments on the ground and in the opinion of the parties to timely adjust the mandate of UNFICYP can.
The Panel thanked the governments of Greece and Cyprus for their voluntary contributions to the financing of UNFICYP and called on other States and organizations to make voluntary contributions also.
With the resolution, the Security Council called on all previous relevant resolutions, in particular resolution 1251 of the UN Security Council of 29 June 1999 and its follow-up resolutions, the Turkish Cypriots and the Turkish army called for in Strovilia the military status quo of recover before 30 June 2000 and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council on the implementation of the resolution before the end of the new mandate on 30 June 2007.