Civil Society Diplomacy:
A new approach for Cyprus?
by Alexandros Lordos
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the Cyprus Problem have tended in the past to be closed affairs, wherein the elected representatives of the two sides would conduct negotiations "behind closed doors", with the public only being brought into the process at the final stage, when through referendums they are asked if they approve or reject the offered proposal. If, however, the Cypriot people are the final arbitrators of any proposal, would it not make sense to find a way to closely involve them in the negotiation process, from the first stages? This report presents the findings of two surveys that were conducted between September 2004 and January 2005, wherein Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots were asked to evaluate various options for improving a Comprehensive Peace Plan in the case of a recommencement of negotiations. The surveys covered in detail various aspects of a comprehensive settlement, such as Security, Governance, Property Rights, Settlers, the Economy, Education, Legal Status and Implementation Guarantees. Through the results, areas are suggested wherein mutually acceptable improvements can easily be found, but also areas wherein the demands of the two sides are in sharp opposition, thus highlighting the necessity for creative and balanced solutions. Overall, the findings of the report point the way towards a sensible re-drafting of the UN Peace Plan, such that will have a strong possibility of being accepted by both communities in a future referendum.
To download the full report, use the link below (right click-save target as):
Civil Society Diplomacy: A new approach for Cyprus?
To download a PowerPoint presentation based on this report (presented at the Wilton Park Conference on 8th February 2005), use the link below (right click-save target as):
Getting to "Yes": An overview of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot requirements
To download an earlier report, in which the reasons behind the Greek Cypriot "No" at the referendum were examined, use the link below (right click-save target as):
To download the Greek-language version of the report into the reasons behind the Greek Cypriot "No", use the link below (right click-save target as):
Οι Ελληνοκύπριοι μπροστά στην Λύση του Κυπριακού
Comments and suggestions concerning any of the above reports, may be sent directly to the author at adlordos@otenet.gr