Address of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Chief of Mission - Mr. Tayé-Brook Zerihoun - at the UNFICYP Medal Parade, 28 January 2010.

Address of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Chief of Mission - Mr. Tayé-Brook Zerihoun - at the UNFICYP Medal Parade, 28 January 2010 
 
Invited guests, peacekeepers, colleagues and friends,

Welcome to the UNFICYP Winter medal parade. It is fitting that we gather here today to pay tribute to our peacekeepers – the men and women before you who come from various parts of the world under the United Nations flag to contribute to efforts to promote peace and stability in Cyprus.

As I look at these young men and women, spending time far from their homes, united for a cause that is not strictly their own, I cannot help remembering other fellow peacekeepers who were moved by similar sentiments to help another people in need. I am thinking, of course, of Haiti, where the United Nations has been working for years to help stabilize the country. As you know, the catastrophic earthquake that struck the island killed perhaps hundreds of thousands of Haitians and scores of our friends and colleagues. I believe the greatest tribute we could pay to them and to the others before them who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of peace is to persevere in our work to help Cypriots bring lasting peace to their homeland.

May I now request all of you to stand up and observe a minute of silence in memory of our friends and colleagues from the United Nations and indeed all the victims of the tragic earthquake that devastated Haiti on 12 January. . . Thank you.

Invited guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Our work here - needless to say - may not nearly be as challenging as that of our colleagues in Haiti or in many other parts of the world. There is relative calm and stability in Cyprus, a situation that has prevailed virtually for decades now. The island is prosperous, with scenic landscapes and friendly people. It is easy enough to feel a sense of security here, to avert one’s eyes from the obvious and enduring division. The reality, however, will not allow us to look away from the troubling facts of the island’s history, or from the still open wounds inherited from the not so distant and tragic past.

I hesitate to say again that Cyprus is at a historic crossroads. That phrase, along with many others applied to the situation on the island might sound well worn but not necessarily less true. The leaders of Cyprus have an unprecedented opportunity today, should they bring the process we are facilitating to fruition, to embark on a path of reunification and healing that should unlock the tremendous energy, ingenuity and potential of Greek and Turkish Cypriots towards a more stable, prosperous and bright future together.

The weight of history is great. We must not underestimate how the suffering and animosities that marked previous generations have shaped attitudes and behavior today. But that record ought not to be allowed to continue to compromise the future. The United Nations will be steadfast in our support and assistance to the leaders and their communities as they work to bridge the distance between them. Ours is a supporting role, not a starring one, and we shall play it as long as there is an evident will to close the division between the two communities that would otherwise threaten to grow wider over time.

The men and women receiving their recognition today play a pivotal role in the overall United Nations support and facilitation of the talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The work of our peacekeepers improves the environment in which negotiations can take place: broadly by contributing to stability; and specifically by ensuring that all practical arrangements – from security to logistics to facilitating media coverage – are made with the utmost of professionalism. The operating theater of our peacekeepers is a relatively benign one; but there should be no misapprehension about the many challenges they face in their daily work. We appreciate their hard work and thank them for their invaluable contribution to the United Nations effort here in Cyprus.

It is my privilege and pleasure to award them the United Nations Peacekeeping Medal in the name of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. They have worked hard to earn it and I commend them for a job well done.

Thank you.

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