Greek Cypriot side hands over names for Technical Committee on Youth

Nicosia has sent its list of members for the Technical Committee on Youth to the United Nations, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis announced on his X account.

He said that President Nikos Christodoulides has decided to appoint ⁠Amalia Avraam (head), ⁠Christos Parmakkis, ⁠Antonis Tambouras, ⁠Aria Askotis, ⁠Zina Papachristoforou, ⁠Ivi Theocharous, ⁠Constantinos Loizou, ⁠Maria Diplarou, ⁠Christina Dymiotis, ⁠Maria Rozaria Filippou, ⁠Rosalie Gorgorian, ⁠Victor Hieronymides, ⁠Christophoros Triantafyllou, ⁠Glafcos Dragoumis, ⁠Stamatis Papavassiliou and ⁠Christos Katsioloudis as members of the Technical Committee on Youth.

The list has been forwarded to the UN under whose auspices the Technical Committees operate, the Spokesperson said.

“The aim of this new Technical Committee is to provide a platform for young people to speak and participate in the peace process for the Cyprus issue and to contribute to the promotion of reunification,” he adds.

The government, he notes, “consistently supports the operation of the Technical Committees, recognising that they can lead to tangible results, improve the daily lives of citizens and contribute to the formation of an appropriate climate in the effort to resolve the Cyprus issue.”

The Technical Committee on Youth is “of particular importance”, Letymbiotis said, noting that it will provide a new space for the participation of the new generation of Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, in the efforts to shape a common future through joint actions.

The United Nations in Cyprus, in a statement, announced that the two leaders have submitted to the United Nations — and to each other — the list of members who will serve on the Committee.

It adds that, further to their agreement at the March 2025 Geneva informal meeting to establish a Technical Committee on Youth, the Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, have today shared with the United Nations—and with each other—the list of members who will serve on the Committee. 

“The UN in Cyprus encourages the Committee to promote dialogue, foster engagement, and support initiatives that reflect the shared aspirations, needs, and challenges of young people across the island”, it said. 

It notes that the first Technical Committees were established in 2008, following an agreement between the then Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, with the facilitation of the United Nations while the Technical Committee on Youth is the most recent one, formed 10 years after the last ones were agreed in 2015 by then leaders Nicos Anastasiades and Mustafa Akinci on Gender Equality, Education and Culture.

“These Committees serve as important confidence-building mechanisms, bringing together experts from both communities to address practical, everyday issues affecting people across the island”, the UN said, adding that their goal is to foster collaboration, build trust, and improve the lives of all Cypriots through constructive, people-centered engagement.

According to the announcement, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, during her visits to the island in 2023 and 2025, also raised the possibility of forming a Youth Technical Committee and increasing the number of young people on all the other committees, with the two leaders.

It also notes that the creation of these Committees “reflects a shared commitment to dialogue and reconciliation”, while contributing to the broader peace process under the auspices of the United Nations Good Offices Mission in Cyprus.

(Source: CNA, X)