CYPRUS - VOTING INSTRUCTION FOR UNFICYP RESOLUTION

UNCLAS STATE 054959

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO PBTS GR TU CY UK
SUBJECT: CYPRUS - VOTING INSTRUCTION FOR UNFICYP RESOLUTION


1. (U) This is an action request: The Department instructs
USUN to vote in favor of the following UN Security Council
resolution regarding the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
(UNFICYP) on May 29, 2009. Post should seek additional
guidance from the Department if there are any additional
substantive changes to the resolution text.


2. (U) Begin text:
The Security Council,

Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 15 May
2009 (S/2009/248) 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 June 2009,

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
a rare 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,

Commending the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot
leaders for the political leadership they have shown, and
warmly welcoming the progress made so far in the fully
fledged negotiations, and the leaders, joint statements,

Strongly urging the leaders to increase the momentum in
the negotiations to ensure the full exploitation of this
opportunity to reach a comprehensive settlement based on a
bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as
set out in the relevant Security Council resolutions,

Emphasizing the importance attached by the
international community of all parties engaging
fully, flexibly and constructively in the negotiations,
and looking forward to decisive
progress in those negotiations in the near future,

Welcoming the intention of the Secretary-General to
keep the Council informed of further
development and progress,

Welcoming also the implementation of some of the
confidence building measures announced by the leaders, and
calling for a renewed effort to implement the remaining
measures and for 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, encouraging the opening by mutual
agreement of other crossing points, noting the commitment in
the leaders joint statements to pursue the opening of the
Limnitis/Yesilirmak crossing point, encouraging
implementation of the commitment to a second phase of the
restoration of the Ledra Street crossing, and urging in this
context the leaders to make every effort to implement those
measures,

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 increased
flexibility and compromise 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 Cypriot
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 stable,
welcoming the decrease in the overall number of incidents
involving the two sides and urging all sides to avoid any
action, including restrictions on UNFICYP's movements as
noted in the Secretary-General,s report (S/2009/248),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, and looking forward to the clearance of the
remaining minefields,

Welcoming the progress and continuation of the
important activities of the Committee on Missing Persons,
echoing the Secretary-General,s call for every possible
action to be taken to speed up the exhumation process, and
trusting that this process will promote reconciliation
between the communities,

Agreeing that active participation of civil society
groups is essential to the political
process and can contribute to making any future
settlement sustainable, 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,

Stressing the need for the Council to pursue a
rigorous, strategic approach to peacekeeping deployments,

Welcoming the intention of the Secretary-General to
keep all peacekeeping operations, including those of UNFICYP,
under close review and noting the importance of contingency
planning in relation to the settlement, including
recommendations as appropriate for further adjustments to
UNFICYP,s mandate, force levels and concept of operations,
taking into account developments on the ground and the views
of the parties,

Welcoming the continued efforts 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 progress made so far in the
fully fledged negotiations, and the prospect of
further progress in the near future towards a comprehensive
and durable settlement that this has
created;


3. Urges full exploitation of this opportunity,
including by intensifying the momentum of negotiations,
improving the current atmosphere of trust and goodwill, and
engaging in the process in a constructive and open
manner;


4. Urges also the implementation of
confidence-building measures, and looks forward to
agreement on and implementation of further such steps,
including the opening of other crossing
points;


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 December 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,
including on contingency planning in relation to the
settlement, by 1 December 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 predeployment
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.
CLINTON