A/HRC/28/20 Furthermore, according to article 27, everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts as well as to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.41 38. While many of the more than 500 churches and Christian monuments in the north and the 100 mosques in the south remain out of reach for many worshippers, some progress was made during the period under review, when more Greek Cypriots were able to worship in previously inaccessible sites than ever before. Whereas no new sites were opened for worship in the previous period under review, between 1 December 2013 and 30 November 2014 the Turkish Cypriot authorities approved visits to at least 11 new sites in the north: Ayios Georgios Xorinos in Famagusta; Panagia Theotokou in Trachoni; Ayios Charalambos in Kontea; Church of Saint George in Kyrenia; Church of Ayios Georgios in Exo Metochi; the Armenian Church of the Virgin Mary in Nicosia; the Maronite Church of Ayios Antonis; Ayios Ioannis Prodromos in Gypsou; Panagia Evangelistria in Gerolakkos; the Church of Ayios Georgios in Vatili; and Archangel Michael in Koma tou Yialou. With the agreement of the religious leaders, UNFICYP facilitated arrangements for the crossing of 914 pilgrims on 29 July 2014, and for 955 pilgrims on 22 November 2014, to Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque in the south. On 30 November 2014, Saint Andrews Day, approximately 1,000 pilgrims travelled to the north to pray at Apostolos Andreas monastery. 39. Religious leaders, including the Greek Orthodox Archbishop and the Mufti of Cyprus, with the support of the Office of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process under the auspices of the Embassy of Sweden, intensified efforts during the period under review. On 26 February 2014, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop, the Mufti, the Maronite Archbishop, the Armenian Archbishop and the Patriarchal Latin Vicar in Cyprus issued a joint statement in which they welcomed the political leaders’ expressed determination to resume negotiations in a results-oriented manner, and stressed that religion was still a victim of the protracted conflict.42 In March 2014, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop, on the invitation of the Mufti, officially crossed to the north for the first time ever to participate in a joint interreligious press conference hosted by the Office of the Religious Track. On 13 March 2014, in Geneva, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief participated in a side event of the twenty-fifth session of the Human Rights Council on the theme “Fostering interreligious communication” together with Christian and Muslim leaders from Cyprus, which was hailed as a historic moment by several speakers. The Special Rapporteur emphasized on that occasion that interreligious dialogue was certainly not a luxury, and that the current moves and practical results in Cyprus were quite remarkable. In June 2014, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop welcomed the Mufti in his firstever visit to all mosques in Nicosia, during which the Mosque of Tahtakale was opened for prayer for the first time since 1963. In October 2014, he hosted the Mufti in Paphos for a two-day visit, during which Turkish Cypriots came to pray at the Mosque of Agia Sophia, open for the first time since 1974. 40. Between 1 December 2013 and 30 November 2014, UNFICYP facilitated 67 religious and commemorative events involving more than 24,000 individuals, which either were held in or required crossing of the buffer zone. During the period under review, however, the Turkish Cypriot authorities did not approve several requests to hold religious services in the northern part of the island, for example at the Greek Orthodox Churches of Saint. George of Xalona in Kato Zodia, Saint George in Vathylakas, Saint George in 41 42 12 See also International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, art. 15. See the Joint Statement on the Resumption of Peace Talks, 26 February 2014 (available from www.swedenabroad.com/ImageVaultFiles/id_18049/cf_52/Joint_communique.PDF).