A group of 51 prominent personalities from Cyprus has submitted a petition to the Presidency, requesting the appointment of a representative by the President of the Republic to advocate for the establishment of a United Nations office in Cyprus.

According to the petition, the signatories strongly support the idea of establishing a UN office in Cyprus, arguing that it could significantly enhance the sense of security for all Cypriots in the event of a resolution, while simultaneously facilitating the initiation of negotiations with better prospects for a positive outcome.

“We understand how far we are from the goal of a solution, yet we believe that this idea strengthens both the negotiation process and the overall objective. With this in mind, we call upon the President of the Republic, party leaders, and the House of Representatives to promote this proposal in various international forums. Major issues require major ideas,” the petition states.

The document emphasizes that significant global organizations have established their headquarters in Northern Europe, citing examples such as the two seats of the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg, the European Court in Luxembourg, the United Nations in Geneva, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna, and NATO in Belgium. This is not coincidental, as these institutions have supported the framework of agreements achieved over decades.

The idea has been discussed with numerous political figures both in Cyprus and abroad, including in Greece and Turkey, and the discussions are ongoing. The announcement continues, “Given that both the Government and political parties have supported this initiative, and indeed very enthusiastically, we are naturally proceeding with this petition and calling on the Government, parties, and the House to assume their share of responsibility. This ambitious idea cannot be the work of one or a few individuals.”

“We urgently request that the President, party leaders, and the House of Representatives promote this proposal in all necessary international forums. Lastly, we ask President Nikos Christodoulides to appoint a representative with substantial authority and responsibility for advancing this proposal,” the announcement concludes.

The signatories of the petition include: Achilleas Emilianides (Professor), Pavlos Anastasiades (former ambassador), Andreas Assiotis (former director-general of ministries), Serdar Atai (activist), Angelos Votsis (former MP), Bumin Bezmen (activist), Maria Gerolemu (academic), Michalis Georgiadis (director), Christos Giakou (political scientist), Shener Erzil (president of the Arif Hasan Tahsin Foundation), Kouli Theodorou (composer, singer), Eleni Theoharous (former MEP), Giannakis Kasoulidis (former Minister of Foreign Affairs), Niyazi Kizilyurek (professor, former MEP), Marinos Cleanthous (vice president of DIPA), Varnavas Kyriacou (actor), Denis Kyriakou (community advisor at the European Parliament), Miltos Kourkoulas (former MEP), Nasia Loizou (fashion designer), Marina Maleni (communications expert, theater scholar), Erato Kozakou Markouli (former Minister of Foreign Affairs), Marios Michailidis (management consultant), Dimos Michailidis (business consultant, economist), Elita Michailidou (journalist), Kostas Nanos (journalist), Marina Neofytou (University of Cyprus professor), Chris Oikonomides (economist), Euripides Ornitharis (economic advisor), Elli Paionidou (literary figure), Pavlos Pavlou (journalist), Nikos Peristianis (sociologist), Anna Koukidou Prokopiou (former Minister of Public Order), Dimitris Rousounis (actor), Dr. Meltem Onurkan Samani (academic, historian), Marinos Sizopoulos (president of EDEK), Dimitra Sorvatzioti (lawyer), Androula Taramounta (editor-in-chief of Fileleftheros), Dimitris Tokaris (television producer), Kyriakos Tsimillis (vice president of the Greens), Gianna Tsolaki (curator, cultural heritage critic), Vasiliki Fotiu (former educator), Takis Hadjigeorgiou (former MEP), Takis Hadjidemetriou (former MP), Andreas Christou (former Minister of the Interior and former Mayor of Limassol), Fotini Christou (lawyer), Rena Hoplarou (educator, columnist), Savvas Christodoulides (painter, academic), Stavros Christodoulou (writer, journalist), Christoforos Christofi (lawyer), Tasos Christofidis (rector of the University of Cyprus), and Pambos Chrysochoides (international relations expert).