EU-UNDP collaboration “crucial in cultivating peace in Cyprus”

Friday marks the 20th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, while in Cyprus this collaboration ‘has been crucial in cultivating peace’.

A post on ‘X’ by the UNDP Cyprus says that “on this day, in 2004, the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the EU and UNDP was signed which laid the foundation for the collaboration. In Cyprus since 2001, this collaboration has been crucial in cultivating peace”.

“The EU collaboration with UNDP has been crucial in cultivating peace, safeguarding the rich cultural heritage of Cyprus and supporting economic growth,” said in a video Judit Rozsa, Acting Director General of Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) of the European Commission.

On his part, Nick Hartmann, Deputy Regional Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, UNDP, said that the UNDP and the EU are formally celebrating this year the 20th anniversary of their global partnership. 

The video refers to the Nicosia Master Plan, developed by a team of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots during the 1980s and since 2001 with the support of the EU. It was the first bicommunal project formed to prepare a common planning strategy for the city of Nicosia. 

“The success of the EU – UNDP partnership could not have been possible without the instrumental work of the bicommunal technical committees, the technical committees on Cultural Heritage, on Culture, on Health, on Environment, on Crossings, Committee on Missing Persons” the video says, while giving more examples of this collaboration in Cyprus.