The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was established in 1964, to prevent further fighting between the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities, who have historically failed to share political power on the ethnically divided island of Cyprus. As the result of an attempted coup d’état in 1974, UNFICYP’s mandate was expanded to monitoring a buffer zone, restoring law and order, and promoting confidence-building measures between the parties. Although a de facto ceasefire has held ever since, because it was never formalized, demilitarization is an ongoing challenge.
The mission continues to provide necessary humanitarian assistance and improve the country’s infrastructure, as well as facilitate discussions between the two sides for a solution to reunify the island.
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