Security Council Resolution 2646 (2022) [on Extension of the Mandate of the Un Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (Unficyp) Until 31 Jan. 2023]

S/RES/2646 (2022)View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the Security Council, under agenda item 43The situation in Cyprus, published in 2022.

What other versions does this mandate have?

15 versions · 2012–2026

This is an older version — the most recent is S/RES/2815 (2026)

2026S/RES/2815 (2026)Security Council resolution 2815 (2026) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 Jan. 2027]LatestCompare with previous version
2025S/RES/2771 (2025)Security Council resolution 2771 (2025) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 Jan. 2026]Compare with previous version
2024S/RES/2723 (2024)Security Council resolution 2723 (2024) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 Jan. 2025]Compare with previous version
2023S/RES/2674 (2023)Security Council resolution 2646 (2022) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 Jan. 2024]Compare with previous version
2022S/RES/2646 (2022)Security Council resolution 2646 (2022) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 Jan. 2023]Compare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

7 topics

Confidence-Building Measures Cyprus Cyprus Question Good Offices Peacebuilding Peacekeeping Operations Varosha (Cyprus)

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

2 reports of the Secretary-General submitted under this mandate, 2023.

2023S/2023/3United Nations operation in Cyprus report of the Secretary-General
2023S/2023/6Report of the Secretary-General on his mission of good offices in Cyprus

Identified automatically from the metadata in each report’s UN Digital Library catalogue record.

What does this mandate say?

32 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms all its relevant resolutions on Cyprus, in particular resolution 1251 (1999) and recalls the importance of achieving an enduring, comprehensive and just settlement based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as set out in relevant Security Council resolutions, including paragraph 4 of its resolution 716 (1991);

Fully supports the Secretary-General’s ongoing engagement with the sides and encourages further rounds of informal talks and reiterates the importance of the sides and all involved participants approaching this process in the spirit of openness, flexibility and compromise and showing the necessary political will and commitment to freely negotiate a mutually acceptable settlement under United Nations auspices, and urges the sides to engage actively and with an increased sense of urgency with the Secretary-General and his team to this end, including by reaching an agreement regarding the proposal of the Secretary-General to appoint a United Nations envoy;

Recalls the status of Varosha as set out in relevant resolutions, including resolutions 550 (1984) and 789 (1992), and its Presidential Statement (S/PRST/2021/13) which condemns the 20 July 2021 announcement by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders on the further reopening of a part of the fenced-off area of Varosha, expresses deep regret regarding unilateral actions that run contrary to its previous resolutions and statements on Varosha and calls for the immediate reversal of this course of action and of all steps taken on Varosha since October 2020, deeply regrets that recent actions have not been in line with this call for immediate reversal, and reiterates once again that no actions should be carried out in relation to Varosha that are not in accordance with its resolutions and continues to stress the need to avoid any unilateral actions that could raise tensions on the island and undermine the prospects for a peaceful settlement;

Expresses concern at the continuing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, and underlines that disputes should be resolved peacefully in accordance with applicable international law, remains convinced of the many important benefits, including economic benefits, for all Cypriots and the wider region that would flow from a comprehensive and durable settlement, reiterates the Secretary-General’s previous call to avoid escalatory steps, and further calls upon the leaders of the two Cypriot communities and all involved parties to refrain from any actions and rhetoric that might damage the settlement process and that could raise tensions on the island;

Recalls its resolution 2618 (2022) and calls upon the two leaders urgently to:

continue to reinvigorate their efforts to provide the necessary support and overall guidance to free the Technical Committees from political obstructions in their work and enable them to function effectively in coordination and cooperation on matters which have island-wide implications, building on recent progress, including through the effective use of the expertise available in the bicommunal Technical Committees on Health, Criminal Matters, Crisis Management, Humanitarian Affairs and Economic Matters, and to empower them to submit proposals for their consideration to enhance intercommunal contacts and improve the daily lives of all Cypriots, and consider the advice of the Good Offices Mission of the Secretary-General regarding further ways to empower the Technical Committees and improve their performance;

ensure effective coordination and cooperation on criminal matters;

make concerted efforts to promote peace education across the island, including by further empowering the Technical Committee on Education to implement the recommendations contained in its joint report of 2017, in particular those concerning policy-making, and to address impediments to peace by conducting a joint review of school materials, including text books, as a contribution to trust-building between the communities, on which there continues to be no progress;

improve the public atmosphere for negotiation to secure a settlement, including by preparing the communities for a settlement through public messages on the way ahead, and delivering more constructive and harmonised messages, including by more explicitly encouraging contact and cooperation between the communities and providing direct support to grassroots people-to-people initiatives, and by refraining from actions or rhetoric that detracts from a successful process or could make it more difficult to achieve;

increase their support to, and ensure a meaningful role for, civil society engagement in peace efforts, in particular strengthening the participation of women’s organisations and youth in the process, and to support implementation of the recommendations of the gender sensitive socioeconomic impact assessment to address existing barriers and ensure a future peace agreement can more equally benefit men and women in Cyprus;

Regrets the ongoing lack of meaningful participation of women’s organisations and youth in the Settlement process, but welcomes the adoption and launch of the Action Plan on women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in the settlement process, to support and encourage engagement with civil society, including women’s organisations and women leaders, and to include a gender perspective in a future settlement process and urges the leaders of both sides to support the Technical Committee on Gender Equality to formulate the next steps for the thorough and effective implementation of all recommendations under the Action Plan, and to review implementation of the plan every six months and provide recommendations as appropriate, and continues to note the Secretary-General’s call to ensure the inclusion of at least 30 per cent women in future delegations;

Deeply regrets the lack of progress on an effective mechanism for direct military contacts between the sides and the relevant involved parties, and urges flexibility and engagement by the sides and the relevant involved parties, facilitated by UNFICYP, to develop a suitably acceptable proposal on the establishment of such a mechanism, and its timely implementation;

Calls upon the sides to reduce existing barriers to intercommunal contact, emphasizes the importance of effective communication for risk-mitigation and trust-building between the communities, and in this regard welcomes the continuation of the regular dialogue between the sides and the United Nations, urges the sides to agree and implement further confidence building measures that can contribute to a conducive environment for settlement, including those related to the military, economic cooperation and trade, and including through the work of the Technical Committees, and in this regard reiterates its support for the proposal of the Secretary-General for a dialogue between the parties and the Special Representative to explore a possible agreement on surveillance technology and unmanning of positions adjacent to the buffer zone and regrets the lack of progress in this regard to date;

Commends the ongoing work of the Committee on Missing Persons, and calls upon all parties to enhance their cooperation with the Committee’s work, in particular through providing full access without delay to all areas and responding in a timely manner to requests for archival information on possible burial sites;

Expresses its full support for UNFICYP, and decides to extend its mandate for a further period ending on 31 January 2023;

Expresses alarm at the continued violations of the military status quo along the ceasefire lines, the reported encroachment by both sides into the Buffer Zone and the risks associated, the challenges to the mission’s delineation of the buffer zone and the increase in unauthorised construction as outlined in paragraphs 9, 13, 14 and 15 of the Secretary-General’s report (S/2022/533) which poses challenges to UNFICYP’s operations and mandated authority;

Strongly urges the sides and all involved parties to respect UNFICYP’s mandated authority in, and delineation of, the buffer zone, reaffirms the importance of the use of the 2018 United Nations aide-memoire by the sides to ensure peace and security in the buffer zone, continues to request the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council and troop- and police-contributing countries any actions that impede UNFICYP’s ability to fulfil its mandate, including risks to the integrity of the buffer zone, as well as the safety, security, access and freedom of movement of UNFICYP personnel, and all instances of interference with UNFICYP’s activities across the island by all actors and efforts to hold perpetrators of such actions accountable, as applicable, and renews its call on both sides to respect the integrity of the buffer zone, to remove all unauthorised constructions and to prevent unauthorised military or civilian activities within and along the ceasefire lines;

Stresses that UNFICYP’s mandated authority extends throughout Cyprus and reaffirms the importance of respect for UNFICYP’s freedom of movement throughout Cyprus, including to ensure systematic and effective monitoring and reporting by the mission particularly on the situation in Varosha, as well as elsewhere, stresses that restrictions on freedom of movement can present serious risks to the safety and security of United Nations personnel serving in peacekeeping operations, requests the Secretary-General, Member States and all parties to strengthen their efforts to take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security and freedom of movement of UNFICYP personnel with unhindered and immediate access, in line with resolution 2518 (2020);

Expresses concern over unauthorised or criminal activities in the buffer zone and the risks they pose to peacekeeper safety and security, condemns the attack on an UNFICYP vehicle on 21 May while patrolling in the buffer zone and calls for the perpetrators to be held to account;

Reiterates its 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, and reaffirms that UNFICYP’s freedom of movement should be respected;

Continues to urge the leaders of both communities to agree and continue a plan of work to achieve a mine-free Cyprus, and to overcome the existing barriers to this work as outlined in paragraph 18 of the Secretary-General’s report (S/2022/533), in order to make expeditious progress towards clearing the 29 remaining suspected hazardous areas on the island;

Requests the Secretary-General to implement the following activities and existing obligations in the planning and conduct of UNFICYP’s operations within the limits of the mandate and area of operations and in line with existing United Nations guidelines and regulations:

women, peace and security requirements under resolution 1325 (2000) and all resolutions addressing women, peace, and security, including by seeking to increase the number of women in UNFICYP in line with resolution 2538 (2020), including through ensuring the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women at all levels, and in all aspects of its operations including senior leadership positions, and through ensuring safe, enabling and gender-sensitive working environments for women in peacekeeping operations, as well as taking fully into account gender considerations as a crosscutting issue throughout its mandate, and reaffirming the importance of sufficient gender expertise in all mission components and capacity strengthening in executing the mission mandate in a gender-responsive manner;

peacekeeping performance requirements under resolutions 2378 (2017) and 2436 (2018);

the United Nations zero-tolerance policy on serious misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual harassment, and all actions under resolution 2272 (2016), and to report to the Security Council if such cases of misconduct occur;

implementing more effective casualty and medical evacuation procedures, as well as deploying enhanced medical evacuation capacities;

taking active and effective measures to improve the planning and functioning of UNFICYP’s safety and security facilities and arrangements;

youth, peace and security requirements under resolutions 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020);

Urges troop- and police-contributing countries to continue taking appropriate action to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, including vetting, predeployment and in-mission awareness training for all personnel, to ensure full accountability in cases of such conduct involving their personnel, including through timely investigations of all allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, to repatriate units when there is credible evidence of widespread or systemic sexual exploitation and abuse by those units, to take appropriate disciplinary measures, and to report to the United Nations fully and promptly on actions undertaken;

Requests troop- and police-contributing countries to implement relevant provisions of resolution 2538 (2020) and all other relevant resolutions on reducing barriers to and increasing women’s participation at all levels and in all positions in peacekeeping, including by ensuring safe, enabling and gender-sensitive working environments for women in peacekeeping operations;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit by 3 January 2023 a report on his Good Offices, in particular on progress towards reaching a consensus starting point for meaningful results-oriented negotiations leading to a settlement, encourages the leaders of the two communities to provide written updates to the Good Offices Mission of the Secretary-General on the actions they have taken in support of the relevant parts of this resolution since its adoption, in particular with regard to paragraphs 5, 6, 7 and 8, with a view to reaching a sustainable and comprehensive settlement, and further requests the Secretary-General to include the contents of these updates in his Good Offices report; further requests the Secretary-General to submit by 3 January 2023 a report on implementation of this resolution that provides integrated, evidence-based and data-driven analysis, strategic assessments and frank advice to the Security Council, drawing on data collected and analysed through the Comprehensive Planning and Performance Assessment System (CPAS), the mission’s implementation of the Integrated Peacekeeping Performance and Accountability Framework (IPPAF) and other strategic planning and performance measurement tools to describe the mission’s impact and overall mission performance, including information on undeclared caveats, declining to participate in or undertake patrols and their impact on the mission, and how the reported cases of under-performance are addressed, and to keep the Security Council updated on events as necessary;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

Paragraph content is machine-extracted from UN documents. For authoritative content, please refer to the official UN document.

No headings found in this document.

Who created this mandate?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What does this mandate say?

Table of contents