United Nations Security Council Resolution 1117

UN Security Council
Resolution 1117
Date: 27 June 1997
Meeting no.: 3,794
Code: S/RES/1117 (Document)

Vote: For: 15 Abs.: 0 Against: 0
Subject: The situation in Cyprus
Result: Adopted

Security Council composition in 1997:
permanent members:

 CHN  FRA  RUS  UK  USA

non-permanent members:
 CHI  CRC  EGY  GBS  JPN
 KEN  KOR  POL  POR  SWE

Satellite view of Cyprus

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1117, adopted unanimously on June 27, 1997, after recalling all resolutions on Cyprus, particularly resolutions 186 (1964), 939 (1994) and 1092 (1996), the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until December 31, 1997.[1]

Cyprus agreed to a further extension of the UNFICYP peacekeeping force. Meanwhile, the Council recognised that tensions remained high near the buffer zone, although the number of serious incidents had decreased. Negotiations at a political resolution to the dispute were at an impasse for too long.

The two parties to the conflict, the Republic of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus, were reminded of their obligation to prevent violence against the peacekeepers. The resolution regretted that measures proposed by UNFICYP to reduce tension, as outlined in Resolution 1092, had not been accepted by either side. There was also concern about the strengthening of military weapons in southern Cyprus and the lack of progress in decreasing the number of foreign troops. In this regard, the Council urged the Republic of Cyprus to cut back on defence spending and withdraw foreign troops, with an overall view to demilitarising the entire island. Accession talks with the European Union would also help facilitate an overall settlement.[2]

In Paragraph 13, the Resolution "welcomes the efforts of the United Nations and others concerned to promote the holding of bi-communal events so as to build trust and mutual respect between the two communities, urges that these efforts be continued, acknowledges the recent cooperation from all concerned on both sides to that end, and strongly encourages them to take further steps to facilitate such bi-communal events and to ensure that they take place in conditions of safety and security".

The resolution concluded by reiterating that the status quo was unacceptable and for negotiations to take place to find a solution, and directing the Secretary-General Kofi Annan to report back to the Council by December 10, 1997 on the implementation of the current resolution.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Security Council extends mandate of UNFICYP until 31 December". United Nations. June 27, 1997. http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/1997/19970627.SC6389.html. 
  2. ^ Hoffmeister, Frank (2006). Legal aspects of the Cyprus problem: Annan Plan and EU accession. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 93. ISBN 978-9004152236. 

External links