Mr. President,
Thank you for giving me the floor. In relation to the resolution A/67/L.13 entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Cooperation Organization” just adopted, my delegation wishes to state for the record that Cyprus disassociates itself from the consensus on that resolution for the following reasons:
- In operative paragraph 2 the resolution takes note of the Baku Declaration, issued at the twelfth Economic Cooperation Organization summit meeting of its members’ Heads of State and Government, held on 16 October 2012 in Azerbaijan.
- The Baku Declaration “endorses” the Report by the Council of Ministers at the latter’s 20th Meeting and instructs the Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization to ensure that Report’s full implementation.
- We are informed, Mr. President, that the said Report recommends that a so called “Turkish Cypriot State” be given the status of observer to the Economic Cooperation Organization.
- The Baku Declaration is in effect calling on the Secretary General of the aforementioned Organization to act against Security Council and General Assembly resolutions on Cyprus.
- I recall particularly Security Council resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984), which state that the declaration of a purported secession of part of the Republic of Cyprus is legally invalid and call for its withdrawal. The Security Council condemns in these resolutions all secessionist acts and calls on all States to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and to not recognize any Cypriot state other than the Republic of Cyprus. It also calls on all States to not facilitate or in any way assist the secessionist entity.
- I recall General Assembly resolutions on Cyprus. Specifically, resolutions 3212 (1974) and 37/253 (1983), also calling upon all states to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus.
Mr. President,
My delegation reiterates these calls by the United Nations’ main bodies to all the Economic Cooperation Organization member states. We strongly urge them and the Organization’s Secretary General to not act against UN resolutions by implementing the recommendation to accord observer status to a secessionist entity.
We have decided not to break consensus on this cooperation resolution based on the good faith and spirit of cooperation demonstrated by its sponsors during the informal negotiations on the text. We hope that the same will be demonstrated in relation to our call just made; that the Organization and its member states will re-evaluate their position on this issue and given their cooperation with the United Nations, act in compliance with its Charter.
I thank you Mr. President.