A/HRC/16/21 I. Overview 1. As of November 2010, Cyprus remains divided, with a buffer zone maintained by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). The UNFICYP mandate, which dates back to 1964, has been extended by successive Security Council resolutions. In resolution 1930 (2010) of 15 June 2010, the Security Council decided to extend the mandate for a further period ending 15 December 2010. 2. UNFICYP has continued to provide humanitarian assistance to the communities, including to Greek Cypriots and Maronites living in the north and Turkish Cypriots living in the south of the island. Assistance continued to be sought from the mission in addressing day-to-day issues arising from the division of the island, including in relation to economic, social and educational matters, the transfer of the deceased, and commemorative, religious and socio-cultural gatherings1. 3. UNFICYP has also continued to assist in maintaining good relations and building trust between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, including in the mixed village of Pyla in the buffer zone 2 . In order to support reconciliation between the two communities, UNFICYP facilitated more than 100 bi-communal events with the participation of more than 5,000 people in the period from May to November 20103. 4. The process of full-fledged negotiations between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides, aimed at finding a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, was formally launched under United Nations auspices on 3 September 2008. In July 2008, the Secretary-General appointed his Special Advisor on Cyprus with the mandate to assist the parties in the conduct of the negotiations. The talks between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders have continued at a steady pace, focusing on various chapters including governance and power-sharing, European Union-related matters, and economic matters. More recently, the talks have also tackled the chapter on property4. 5. Meetings between the representatives of the two leaders and technical meetings at the expert level have also taken place. To date, six out of 23 confidence-building measures formulated by the technical committees to ensure a conducive atmosphere for a settlement by improving the daily lives of Cypriots have been implemented, including the establishment of a joint communication room for the exchange of information on crime and criminal matters, the facilitation of ambulances through crossing points, and the implementation of a project to establish an inventory of immovable cultural heritage in Cyprus 5 . UNFICYP has provided assistance in implementing these confidence-building measures6. 6. On 18 April 2010, in elections held in the northern part of Cyprus, the Turkish Cypriots elected Derviş Eroğlu as their leader, replacing Mehmet Ali Talat. Following the elections, Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and new Turkish Cypriot leader 1 2 3 4 5 6 Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations operation in Cyprus (S/2010/264), paras. 10 and 16; Information received from UNFICYP. S/2010/264, para. 19; Information received from UNFICYP. Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations operation in Cyprus (S/2010/605), para. 17. Report of the Secretary-General on his mission of good offices in Cyprus (S/2010/238), paras. 4 and 14; Information received from DPA. Report of the Secretary-General on his mission of good offices in Cyprus (S/2010/603), paras. 8, 12 and 15. S/2010/605, para. 34. 3