Security Council resolution 1847 (2008) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)]
Symbol: S/RES/1847(2008)
Date: 2008-12-12
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/63 [42] CYPRUS QUESTION
S/63 [43] UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS
Subjects: UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus|UN. Security Council (54th year : 1999) > Resolutions and decisions|UN. Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus|UN. Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Cyprus|PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS|CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES|DISAPPEARANCE OF PERSONS|CYPRUS|CYPRUS QUESTION|NEGOTIATION|GOOD OFFICES|TURKISH CYPRIOT COMMUNITY|GREEK CYPRIOT COMMUNITY|MINE CLEARANCE|MILITARY ACTIVITY|CIVIL SOCIETY|SEX CRIMES|CODES OF CONDUCT|ACCOUNTABILITY|TRAINING PROGRAMMES
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: BELGIUM
vote: yes
country: BURKINA FASO
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: COSTA RICA
vote: yes
country: CROATIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: INDONESIA
vote: yes
country: ITALY
vote: yes
country: LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA
vote: yes
country: PANAMA
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SOUTH AFRICA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: VIET NAM
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                 S/RES/1847 (2008)
               Security Council                                               Distr.: General
                                                                              12 December 2008




               Resolution 1847 (2008)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 6038th meeting, on
               12 December 2008

                    The Security Council,
                    Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 28 November 2008
               (S/2008/744) 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 December 2008,
                     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 an unprecedented 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,
                    Welcoming the launch of fully fledged negotiations on 3 September 2008, the
               progress made so far, and the leaders’ joint statements,
                    Emphasizing the importance of all parties engaging fully, flexibly and
               constructively in those negotiations, in order to make decisive progress towards a
               comprehensive settlement based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political
               equality, as set out in the relevant Security Council resolutions,
                     Encouraging continued momentum in negotiations and the maintenance of
               goodwill and trust, looking forward to substantive progress and the full exploitation
               of the current opportunity, commending the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders for
               the political leadership they have shown so far, and welcoming the intention of the
               Secretary-General to keep the Council informed of further development and
               progress,
                     Welcoming the announcement of confidence building measures and the
               cancellation of military exercises, and looking forward to the implementation of
               these measures and 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, reiterating its welcome for the opening of the Ledra Street crossing,
               encouraging the opening by mutual agreement of other crossing points, and noting

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               in this context the commitment in the leaders’ joint statements to pursue the opening
               of the Limnitis/Yeşilirmak crossing point,
                     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 flexibility 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 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 generally stable,
               welcoming the decrease in the overall number of incidents involving the two sides
               and urging both sides to avoid any action, including restrictions on UNFICYP’s
               movements, 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, echoing
               the Secretary’s General’s call for the remaining minefields to be cleared, and noting
               with concern that funding is urgently required by the Mine Action Centre beyond
               2008 to allow this work to continue beyond that period,
                    Welcoming the progress and continuation of the important activities of the
               Committee on Missing Persons, and trusting that this process will promote
               reconciliation between the communities,
                    Agreeing that an active and flourishing civil society is essential to the political
               process, 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,
                    Reaffirming the importance of the Secretary-General continuing to keep the
               operations of UNFICYP under close review while continuing to take into account
               developments on the ground and the views of the parties, and reverting to the
               Council with recommendations as appropriate for further adjustments to
               UNFICYP’s mandate, force levels and concept of operation as soon as warranted,
                    Welcoming the appointment 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,




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                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 launch of fully fledged negotiations on 3 September
           2008, and the prospect of a comprehensive and durable settlement that this has
           created;
                3.   Urges full exploitation of this opportunity, including by intensifying the
           momentum of negotiations, preserving the current atmosphere of trust and goodwill,
           and engaging in the process in a constructive and open manner;
                4.    Welcomes the announcement on confidence-building measures and the
           cancellation of military exercises, and looks forward to these measures being fully
           implemented as well as to agreement on further such steps, including the possible
           opening of other crossing points, as mentioned in the leaders’ joint statements;
                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 June 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 by 1 June 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.




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