Security Council expected to renew UNFICYP

Despite pressure to cut back on peacekeeping missions worldwide, it appears the UN Security Council will most likely vote to renew UNFICYP in Cyprus for another six months.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed his support for the continuation of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

Guterres is calling on the UN Security Council to vote on July 26 to approve another six months for a UNFINCYP tour in Cyprus, which has been maintaining the peace on the divided island since 1964.

According to Guterres, Cyprus has remained peaceful and stable for over five decades largely due to the continuous presence of UNFICYP. 

But recent politics in the US has called into question the ease with which a peacekeeping mission is approved by the UNSC. 

US President Donald Trump has made reform of UN peacekeeping a major foreign policy goal for his administration, believing that his country, the largest financial contributor for the missions, should pay less and the UN should cut costs around the world. 

But Nicosia has been in contact with foreign capitals recently, of all five permanent members on the Security Council – USA, Britain, France, China, Russia, in an effort to secure support for the continuation of the UNFICYP mission.

On Wedensday, Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who reiterated his country’s support for UNFICYP. And Greek Cypriot chief negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis was also making diplomatic contacts in New York.

Nicosia says this would be a bad time for changes as new efforts for peace negotiations on the island are in the works.

Some observers have suggested there may be some changes in terms of peacekeeping forces, but it was not clear whether any new terms would affect UNFICYP, which could stick around until 31 January 2019 if the UNSC heeds Guterress’ advice.