UN Security Council Resolution 2815 (2026) on Cyprus: UNFICYP Mandate Extension Full Text

UN Extends Cyprus Peacekeeping Force Mandate Until 2027

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2815 (2026)

Adopted: 30 January 2026 (10100th meeting)
Document Symbol: S/RES/2815 (2026)

Executive Summary: What You Need to Know

The Security Council has extended the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for another year, until 31 January 2027. The resolution strongly supports the UN Secretary-General’s efforts to restart formal negotiations for a settlement. While welcoming recent dialogue and some trust-building initiatives, the Council expresses deep concern over ongoing military tensions, violations in the Buffer Zone, and the lack of progress on key issues like women’s participation and educational reforms. All parties are urged to show flexibility, compromise, and cooperate to find a mutually acceptable way forward.

Full Text

The Security Council,

Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 5 January 2026 on his Good Offices (S/2026/9) and on the United Nations operation in Cyprus (S/2026/8), and expressing its full support for his Good Offices, including the existing body of work, to remain available to assist the sides,

Underscoring that the responsibility for finding a solution lies first and foremost with the Cypriots themselves, and reaffirming the primary role of the United Nations in assisting the parties to bring the Cyprus conflict and division of the island to a comprehensive and durable settlement with a sense of urgency,

Expressing its appreciation for the continuing personal engagement of the Secretary-General and that of his team, and expressing its appreciation for the intensive efforts of the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar from May 2025, welcoming the intensification of dialogue between the two sides and the outcomes of the informal broader-format meetings in Geneva (18 March 2025) and New York (17 July 2025), welcoming the commitment shown by the two leaders to make progress on initiatives to build trust, and encouraging both sides and the relevant parties to continue engaging constructively to seek a mutually acceptable way forward,

Acknowledging the efforts of the previous Special Representative of the Secretary-General and welcoming the appointment of Khassim Diagne as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP),

Stressing its full support for the Secretary-General’s ongoing efforts, reiterating the importance of openness, flexibility and compromise in finding common ground with the goal of returning to formal negotiations, and urging the sides to renew their efforts to achieve an enduring, comprehensive and just settlement based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as set out in relevant Security Council resolutions, including paragraph 4 of its resolution 716 (1991),

Noting the need for further progress towards restarting formal negotiations, strongly encouraging all parties to seize the opportunity presented by the Secretary-General’s ongoing engagement, and stressing that the status quo is unsustainable, that the situation on the ground is not static, and that the lack of an agreement furthers political tensions and deepens the estrangement of both communities, risking irreversible changes on the ground, and reducing the prospects of a settlement,

Urging both sides and all involved parties to take steps to de-escalate tensions in and around the Buffer Zone and to refrain from actions which are not conducive to the broader peace process, stressing the importance of respect for the integrity and inviolability of the Buffer Zone, reaffirming UNFICYP’s mandated authority in and delineation of the Buffer Zone, and emphasising the importance of refraining from actions which undermine UNFICYP’s mandated authority therein,

Recalling its Presidential Statement (S/PRST/2021/13), and all relevant resolutions and statements of its President regarding Varosha,

Recalling its resolution 1325 (2000) and all related resolutions, recognising that the full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership of women is essential in building peace in Cyprus and will contribute to making any future settlement sustainable, welcoming efforts to bring together a broader range of women actors on both sides, underlining the importance of accelerating the full and effective implementation of the joint Action Plan on ways to ensure women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace talks, and encouraging the sides to ensure the needs and perspectives of women are addressed in a future settlement,

Recalling its resolution 2250 (2015) and related resolutions that recognise the important and positive contribution of youth in efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, and as a key aspect of the sustainability, inclusiveness and success of peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts, and further encouraging the full, equal and meaningful participation of youth in this process,

Recalling the Secretary-General’s finding that the socioeconomic disparity between the two Cypriot communities has widened further, recognising that this risks leading to further estrangement on the island, and potentially affecting prospects for a settlement, and in this context, urging further efforts to address this through meaningful contacts,

Expressing concern at the ongoing challenges regarding law and order in Pyla/Pile, welcoming the effective coordination by both sides through the extension of Joint Contact Room to Pyla/Pile, and urging both sides to continue to work with UNFICYP to establish effective measures to tackle criminal activities,

Stressing the importance of trust-building initiatives and their timely implementation, and strongly encouraging the sides to continue engaging with each other in this regard, including to consider new military confidence building measures,

Urging the sides to step up their efforts to promote intercommunal contacts, intra-island trade, reconciliation and the active engagement of civil society, in particular women and youth, recognising that regular, effective contact and communication between the sides enhances the prospects for settlement and is in the interests of all Cypriots, and helps to address island-wide matters, including health, crime, environmental protection, economic issues, issues related to adverse environmental impacts, and challenges related to migration, underlining the importance of efforts to remove obstacles to intra-island trade, and urging both sides to strengthen such efforts,

Noting that the Government of Cyprus is agreed that in view of the prevailing conditions on the island it is necessary to keep the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) beyond 31 January 2026,

Welcoming measures to date to strengthen the liaison and engagement capacity of the mission, noting the importance of transition planning in relation to the settlement and in line with resolution 2594 (2021) and other relevant resolutions, and emphasising the need to review regularly all peacekeeping operations, including UNFICYP, to ensure efficiency and effectiveness,

Expressing appreciation to Member States that contribute personnel to UNFICYP, and noting the continued voluntary contributions to the funding of UNFICYP by the Government of Cyprus and the Government of Greece,

1. Reaffirms all its relevant resolutions on Cyprus, in particular resolution 1251 (1999), and recalls the importance of achieving an enduring, comprehensive and just settlement based on a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as set out in relevant Security Council resolutions, including paragraph 4 of its resolution 716 (1991);

2. Strongly calls upon the sides and all parties to deploy all efforts to engage actively with the Secretary-General and his team;

3. Fully supports the Secretary-General’s ongoing engagement with the sides and welcomes the intensification of dialogue, notably the Secretary-General’s informal broader-format meetings on 18 March and on 17 July 2025, the trilateral meeting on 27 September 2025 in New York, and the meetings of the two leaders on 20 November and 11 December 2025 under United Nations auspices, welcomes the agreement to a group of initiatives to build trust and confidence reached at the broader-format meetings on 18 March and 17 July and the implementation of some of these, encourages further progress in this regard, encourages the continued use of informal-broader format meetings as agreed, and emphasises the importance of the sides and all involved participants approaching this process in the spirit of openness, flexibility and compromise and showing the necessary political will and commitment to freely negotiate a mutually acceptable settlement under United Nations auspices;

4. Recalls the status of Varosha as set out in relevant resolutions, including resolutions 550 (1984) and 789 (1992), and its Presidential Statement (S/PRST/2021/13) which condemns the 20 July 2021 announcement by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders on the further reopening of a part of the fenced-off area of Varosha, expresses deep regret regarding the continuation of unilateral actions that run contrary to its previous resolutions and statements on Varosha, calls for the immediate reversal of this course of action and of all steps taken on Varosha since October 2020, deeply regrets the ongoing disregard of this call for immediate reversal, cautions against any further actions in relation to Varosha that are not in accordance with its resolutions, emphasises that any further unilateral action may prompt a response from the Security Council and continues to stress the need to avoid any unilateral actions that could raise tensions on the island and undermine the prospects for a peaceful settlement;

5. Emphasises that the Council continues to follow developments in Pyla/Pile since August 2023 closely, underscores the need to avoid any unilateral actions by either party that could raise tensions on the island and harm prospects for a settlement, encourages further efforts to promote a conducive climate with the goal of returning to formal negotiations for a lasting settlement in Cyprus, welcomes the Special Representative of the Secretary-General’s engagement with all parties to reach an understanding regarding arrangements for the Pyla/Pile plateau as outlined in paragraph 11 of the Secretary-General’s report (S/2024/12), regrets that implementation remains paused, and urges all parties concerned to work constructively with UNFICYP on a way forward as an important confidence building measure;

6. Welcomes the promotion of peaceful neighbourly relations in the Eastern Mediterranean, reiterates that disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean should be resolved peacefully in accordance with applicable international law, remains convinced of the many important benefits, including economic benefits, for all Cypriots and the wider region that would flow from a comprehensive and durable settlement, reiterates also the Secretary-General’s previous call to avoid escalatory steps, and further urges the leaders of the two Cypriot communities and all involved parties to refrain from any actions and rhetoric that might damage the settlement process and that could raise tensions on the island;

7. Recalls its resolution 2771 (2025) and calls upon the two leaders urgently to:

(a) continue their efforts to provide the necessary support and overall guidance to the work of the Technical Committees, ensuring they are free from political obstructions and able to function effectively… including through the effective use of the expertise available in the bicommunal Technical Committees on Health, Criminal Matters, Crisis Management, Humanitarian Affairs and Economic Matters…;
(b) ensure effective coordination and cooperation on criminal matters;
(c) strengthen efforts to promote peace education across the island, including by reinvigorating the Technical Committee on Education and empowering it to implement the recommendations contained in its joint report of 2017… noting with concern that the Technical Committee on Education did not meet during the reporting period and that no cross-community cooperation on student engagement or review of textbooks took place;
(d) improve the public atmosphere for negotiation to secure a settlement, including by preparing the communities for a settlement through public messages on the way ahead, and delivering more constructive and harmonised messages…;
(e) increase their support to, and ensure a meaningful role for, civil society engagement in peace efforts, in particular by forming a consultative body as agreed in the informal broader-format meeting in July 2025, strengthening the participation of women’s organisations… welcoming the establishment of the Technical Committee on Youth…;

8. Regrets the ongoing lack of full, equal and meaningful participation of women and the participation of youth in the Settlement process, welcomes the Action Plan on women’s full, equal and meaningful participation… urges the leaders of both sides as a matter of priority to provide the Technical Committee on Gender Equality with the political support to accelerate the thorough and effective implementation of all recommendations under the Action Plan… and continues to note the Secretary-General’s call to ensure the inclusion of women in future delegations;

9. Deeply regrets the lack of progress on an effective mechanism for direct military contacts between the sides and the relevant involved parties, and requests flexibility and engagement by the sides and the relevant involved parties, facilitated by UNFICYP, to develop a suitably acceptable proposal on the establishment of such a mechanism, and its timely implementation;

10. Calls upon the sides to reduce existing barriers to intercommunal contact, emphasises the importance of effective communication for risk-mitigation and trust-building between the communities… welcomes agreement between the leaders on specific trust-building initiatives at the two meetings, further welcomes progress made in delivering on these commitments to date, and in this regard encourages further efforts by the leaders to deliver on the agreed trust-building initiatives, especially on the issue of opening of new crossing points, recognising that confidence building measures are important for creating a conducive environment but are not a substitute to achieving a solution to the Cyprus problem;

11. Commends the ongoing work of the Committee on Missing Persons, calls upon all parties to enhance their cooperation with the Committee’s work, in particular through providing full access without delay to all areas and responding in a timely manner to requests for archival information on possible burial sites…;

12. Expresses its full support for UNFICYP, decides to extend its mandate for a further period ending on 31 January 2027…;

13. Condemns the continued violations of the military status quo along the ceasefire lines, the reported encroachment by both sides into the Buffer Zone and the risks associated, the challenges to the mission’s delineation of the Buffer Zone, the ongoing reported military violations, the continued unauthorised constructions and installation of military-grade surveillance systems along the Buffer Zone… which pose significant challenges to UNFICYP’s operations and mandated authority, expresses concern regarding the blurring of distinction between civilian and military structures… and reiterates its support for the proposal of the Secretary-General for a dialogue between the parties and the Special Representative to explore a possible agreement on technology installations and unmanning of positions adjacent to the Buffer Zone;

14. Stresses the need for the sides and all involved parties to respect UNFICYP’s mandated authority in and delineation of the Buffer Zone and to refrain from unilateral actions in contravention thereof, reaffirms that the Security Council recognizes UNFICYP’s delineation of the Buffer Zone, expresses particular concern over the lack of de-escalatory steps in and around the Buffer Zone… calls for the restoration of the status quo ante concerning violations in the Buffer Zone… and calls urgently on both sides to respect the integrity and inviolability of the Buffer Zone, to remove all unauthorised constructions and to prevent unauthorised military or civilian activities within and along the ceasefire lines;

15. Stresses that UNFICYP’s mandated authority extends throughout Cyprus, calls on all parties to continue to cooperate with UNFICYP, strongly urges full respect for UNFICYP’s freedom of movement throughout Cyprus and the cessation of all restrictions on the mission’s movement and access, including to ensure systematic and effective monitoring and reporting by the mission particularly on the situation in Varosha…;

16. Expresses concern over unauthorised or criminal activities in the Buffer Zone and the risks they pose to peacekeeper safety and security, condemns any attack and expresses concern about any aggressive behaviour towards UNFICYP and its personnel, and calls for the perpetrators of such attacks to be held to account;

17. Underlines the importance of a proactive approach to strategic communications, and requests UNFICYP to strengthen its existing efforts to monitor and to counter disinformation and misinformation;

18. Reiterates its calls on the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkish forces to restore in Strovilia the military status quo which existed there prior to 30 June 2000, and reaffirms that UNFICYP’s freedom of movement should be respected;

19. Continues to urge the leaders of both communities to agree and continue a plan of work to achieve a mine-free Cyprus…;

20. Requests the Secretary-General to implement the following activities and existing obligations in the planning and conduct of UNFICYP’s operations…:

(a) women, peace and security requirements…
(b) peacekeeping performance requirements…
(c) the United Nations zero-tolerance policies on serious misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse…
(f) youth, peace and security requirements…

21. Urges troop- and police-contributing countries to continue taking appropriate action to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse…;

24. Requests the Secretary-General to submit two reports, by 6 July 2026 and 4 January 2027 respectively, on his Good Offices… encourages the leaders of the two communities to provide written updates every six months… on the actions they have taken in support of the relevant parts of this resolution since its adoption, in particular with regard to paragraphs 7, 8, 9 and 10… requests also the Secretary-General to submit two reports… on the implementation of this resolution that provides integrated, evidence-based and data-driven analysis…;

25. Decides to remain seized of the matter.