A/HRC/25/21 21. In February 2013, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women noted with concern that the legislation of Cyprus continued to discriminate against children of women with internally displaced status by preventing them from benefiting from the same status awarded to children of internally displaced men, which includes access to voting rights, social benefits and housing assistance. The Committee urged Cyprus to amend its legislation without delay to ensure that children of women with internally displaced status are able to benefit from the same status as children of internally displaced men.23 In June 2013, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus reportedly took a preliminary decision that children of women with internally displaced status were to be given the same status and benefits as children of internally displaced men, namely, by allocating the funds available equally among all those with internally displaced status.24 22. In its concluding observations of 30 August 2013, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recommended that Cyprus respect the right to nationality without discrimination and ensure that no particular groups of non-citizens are discriminated against with regard to access to naturalization. The Committee also requested the State party to include in its next periodic report information on how nationality laws and regulations were applied to those in the occupied territories.25 It also expressed its concern at the rise in the incidence of racially motivated verbal abuse and physical attacks by right-wing extremists and neo-Nazi groups against persons of foreign origin, human rights defenders and Turkish Cypriots.26 23. During the period under review, UNFICYP continued to address day-to-day humanitarian and welfare issues faced by Greek Cypriots and Maronites residing in the north, and by Turkish Cypriots residing in the south, including through home visits. Despite the repeated voicing of concerns at the deteriorating health of elderly Greek Cypriots and Maronites in the north, the requests for Greek-speaking doctors to treat these patients and to transfer a defibrillator to assist one of them continued to be denied.27 The Turkish Cypriot authorities however argue that the regional health centre is fully equipped, including with a defibrillator, and also has a Turkish Cypriot doctor who fluently speaks Greek. C. Freedom of movement 24. According to article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State, as well as the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.28 25. In Cyprus, however, crossings between the northern and the southern parts of the island are still possible only through (currently seven) official crossing points, a situation that obviously limits freedom of movement. The Committee on Crossings, which was tasked by the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders in December 2010 to reach an agreement on new crossing points, did not meet during the period under review; despite 23 24 25 26 27 28 8 CEDAW/C/CYP/CO/6-7, paras. 33-34. George Psyllides, “Children of refugee mothers granted equal status”, Cyprus Mail, 21 June 2013, available from http://cyprus-mail.com/2013/06/21/children-of-refugee-mothers-granted-equal-status/. See also A/HRC/22/18, para. 21. CERD/C/CYP/CO/17-22, para. 18. Ibid., para. 12. See also the alternative report submitted by the civil society organization KISA to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 9 August 2013 (http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CERD/Shared%20Documents/CYP/KISAAlternative%20Report%20on%20Cyprus_14925_E.pdf), pp. 22-25. S/2013/7, para. 16, and S/2013/392, para. 20. See also International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art. 12.