Content_paragraphs:  Given the passage of time and the risk that the communities drift ever-further 
  
  apart, fostering cooperation on issues that affect the daily life of Cypriots is 
  
  fundamental. I have previously encouraged the leaders to empower the technical 
  
  committees and to give them the political support required to achieve results, in 
  
  particular those that can play a role in addressing key aspects of the COVID-19 
  
  pandemic’s impact, such as health, economic and commercial matters, crisis 
  
  management, gender equality and humanitarian affairs. A stated political commitment 
  
  to meaningfully empower these committees notwithstanding, progress achieved 
  
  during the period remained limited, especially given the potential role that these 
  
  committees could play vis-à-vis the pandemic and its socioeconomic and related 
  
  consequences. A notable exception was the Technical Committee on Health, which, 
  
  as indicated above, played a critical role in supporting the sides in advancing in terms 
  
  of public health-related cooperation on COVID-19 and in reopening crossings.