Project Summary:

The overall objective of the project is to close a painful chapter in the history of the island and contribute to restoring trust and fostering reconciliation between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. This objective is further encouraged and promoted through the participation of bi-communal scientific teams in all stages of the process.

The key phases of the CMP operation (investigation, excavation, anthropological analysis, identification and return of remains) involve bi-communal teams of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot scientists. All decisions of the CMP, including political and operational, are taken by consensus by the three CMP Members.

The CMP and UNDP believe that addressing the issue of missing persons in Cyprus and recovering their remains is essential to bring closure to the affected families. Utmost attention must be given to the needs of the families of the missing, to enable both communities to move forward with greater serenity and optimism. Establishing the fate of their loved ones and, where possible, recovering their remains, is a crucial part of the healing process, not only for the relatives of the victims themselves, but for Cypriot society in general.

The European Union is the main financing source for the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) in Cyprus, with a total contribution of €33.3 million up to phase 13. The amount includes the European Commission’s agreement with the UNDP which provided an additional €2.6 million for the work of the CMP for phase 13 aiming first of all to increase the number of remains of missing persons returned to their families but also to build local capacity and trust between communities.