The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force on the island (UNFICYP), Khassim Diagne, will brief the United Nations Security Council today at 15:00 New York time (19:00 GMT) in closed consultations.
Diagne’s briefing will focus on the UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ two latest reports on his Good Offices mission and UNFICYP.
According to CNA sources, developments on the Cyprus issue are expected following the visit to Cyprus by the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, towards the end of this month, while a visit by the UN Secretary-General himself to Nicosia during the same period is also possible.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
After informal meetings in 2025, followed by a hiatus of several months, deliberations are underway for a new meeting in broader format to be held, as the term of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nears its end. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.