A/HRC/43/22 7. On 20 June 2019, the Government provided its views on the recommendations received during its universal periodic review. It included a section entitled “Recommendations related to the Cyprus question”, which illustrates the range of human rights affected by the division (A/HRC/41/15/Add.1, paras. 31–37). In that section, the Government accepted recommendations to strengthen support for intercommunal dialogue and activities; eradicate racial discrimination against Turkish Cypriots and Roma; take the necessary measures to guarantee freedom of religion; ensure the right to freedom of expression, including for those citizens and community members involved in intercommunal activities and journalists; ensure the non-discriminatory treatment of all persons applying for Cypriot nationality; continue the rapprochement between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities; and ensure the participation of women in the peace process. On the other hand, the Government noted recommendations to review the Law on the Procedure for Standardization of Geographical Names; work with representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community to eliminate human trafficking; and amend legal provisions to guarantee the right to obtain Cypriot nationality to all persons who have one Cypriot parent, including those of mixed Turkish Cypriot and Turkish parents (ibid.). 8. In addition, the Government accepted the recommendation to ensure that its policies, legislation, regulations and enforcement measures effectively serve to prevent and address the heightened risk of business involvement in abuses in conflict situations (ibid., para. 30). It further noted that it was not in a position to consider accession to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness for political reasons relating directly to certain sensitive aspects of the Cyprus problem (ibid., para. 11). 9. In the light of the ongoing division, UNFICYP continued its work to maintain the buffer zone and contribute to conditions conducive to a settlement, including through promoting confidence-building measures and cooperation between the sides and the communities. In October 2019, UNFICYP and OHCHR delivered a human rights training course for the police component of UNFICYP, to provide mandate-specific human rights guidance and address the challenges that United Nations police officers might face while interacting with local communities and policing partners. Police officers from both communities also attended the course in their personal capacity, thus contributing to the building of confidence and trust among the participants. 2 10. Through an intercommunal strategy, UNFICYP and the good offices mission of the Secretary-General worked to contribute to trust-building among Cypriots. They continued to facilitate the work of all 12 bicommunal technical committees to promote trust and increased contacts and cooperation.3 To strengthen support for intercommunal dialogue and activities and the work of the bicommunal technical committees, and in line with repeated calls by the Security Council for the two leaders to empower the committees, the SecretaryGeneral’s good offices mission initiated a stocktaking exercise on the activities and modi operandi of the committees, to propose recommendations to both sides to assist them in their efforts to strengthen and streamline their work (see S/2019/883, para. 27). 11. Human rights monitoring and reporting in relation to the northern part of Cyprus also remained limited owing to gaps and challenges related to the status of the north and concerns about “recognition”. The Secretary-General has noted that “concerns about recognition should not in themselves constitute an insurmountable obstacle to increased cooperation” and reiterated his call for greater ties and contacts to promote trust between the communities and address the concerns of the Turkish Cypriots with regard to isolation. 2 3 See https://unficyp.unmissions.org/ohchr-unficyp-and-dpo-standing-police-capacity-organise-threeday-training-missions-police-component. Twelve bicommunal technical committees were established by the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders in the latest round of the Cyprus negotiations. They cover a range of issues, including cultural heritage, health, gender equality, education, and crime and criminal matters. At the time of writing the present report, six of the committees were facilitated by the Office of the Special Adviser on Cyprus and six were facilitated by UNFICYP. UNFICYP was supported in the process by UNDP which, through European Union funding, provided support to the Technical Committees on Cultural Heritage and on Crossings. 3