‘Cyprus division still hindering human rights’ – UN report says

The division of Cyprus continues to hinder the full enjoyment of human rights by all persons throughout the island, the annual report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Friday.

The report provided an overview of human rights issues in Cyprus from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023.

The 15-page report noted in its conclusions that “the division of Cyprus continues to hinder the full enjoyment of human rights by all persons throughout the island. While the island has gradually returned to a sense of normality despite the continued presence of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), challenges, including discrimination, persist with regard to the full enjoyment of civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights, with people in vulnerable situations, such as migrants and minorities, and the Turkish Cypriot community is disproportionately affected”.

It added that while the crossing points continued to function normally, their limited number, long queues and discrimination at them hindered the right to the freedom of movement and interaction between the two communities.

“Further efforts should be made to increase the number of crossing points, including for trade, and of opportunities for meaningful intercommunal contact as an essential element of reconciliation and trust-building,” it said.

According to the report, “despite these challenges, numerous actors continued to promote and protect human rights, including representatives of civil society, religious leaders and faith-based actors and many bicommunal technical committees”.

The report added that that civil society in the northern part of Cyprus, in addition to supporting victims of human rights violations, published their first human rights monitoring reports.

“And given the growing economic divide on the island,” the OHCHR said, “it is still imperative to ensure a human rights-based approach predicated upon the principles of non-discrimination, participation, transparency and accountability as an essential element of sustainable development, fostering social cohesion and advancing dialogue and the political process.

“Human rights apply to all people everywhere. All stakeholders should therefore uphold, without any discrimination, the human rights of all Cypriots in accordance with relevant international human rights standards,” it said.

According to the report, “while many human rights issues in Cyprus stem from its division, urgently and effectively addressing all human rights protection gaps and issues in Cyprus – including for asylum-seekers and migrants — remains essential not only to ensure the realisation of human rights for all people living in Cyprus but also to support efforts to reach a just and lasting peaceful solution regarding the island’s division.

“OHCHR therefore encourages increased engagement and technical cooperation with the United Nations human rights mechanisms to advance the enjoyment of human rights by all Cypriots, including by addressing the human rights issues outlined in the present report,” it added.

Concluding, it pointed out that “it is also paramount that OHCHR and other relevant actors continue to have access to the whole island and to all persons affected, and that they enjoy the full cooperation of the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot authorities”.