0945113 - Bayefsky.com

|United Nations |HRI/CORE/CYP/2009 | |
|[pic] |International Human Rights |Distr.: General |
| |Instruments |24 September 2009 |
| | | |
| | |Original: English |
Core document forming the initial part of the reports of States
parties
Cyprus* [3 August 2009]
Contents Page I. Land and people 3 A. Geography 3 B. Historical background 3 C. Population 4 D. Area under effective control of the Government of the
Republic 4 E. Economy 5 F. Socio-economic indicators 6 II. General political structure 7 A. Recent political history and developments 7 B. The constitutional structure 10 III. General legal framework within which human rights are
protected 12 IV. Information and publicity 15 V. Latest developments concerning the Cyprus question 15 Appendix 17 I. Land and people
A. Geography 1. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea
with an area of 9251 sq. km, 330 east of Greenwich and 350 north of
the Equator. 2. It is situated in the northeastern Mediterranean,
approximately 360 km east of Greece, 300 km north of Egypt, 105 km
west of Syria and 75 km south of Turkey. 3. Cyprus has mainly mountainous terrain, with the Pentadaktylos
mountain range in the north and the Troodos mountain range in the
south-west. Cyprus' highest peak is Mount Olympus (at 1953 m) in
the Troodos range. The largest plain, Mesaoria, is situated in
between the two ranges. 4. The climate is temperate (Mediterranean). Two-thirds of the
average annual rainfall of 500 mm occurs between December and
February. Periodically, the country suffers from drought.
B. Historical background 5. Cyprus' history spans nine millennia. In the second millennium
B.C., the Achaean Greeks established city-kingdoms based on the
Mycenaean model, introducing the Greek language and culture,
preserved to this day despite the vicissitudes of history. 6. Cyprus was well known in the ancient world for its copper
mines and forests. Its geostrategic position, at the crossroads of
three continents, as well as its wealth, accounted for a succession
of conquerors, including the Assyrians (673-669 B.C.), the
Egyptians (560-545 B.C.) and the Persians (545-332 B.C.). 7. During the fifth century B.C., there was considerable
interaction between Athens and the Cypriot city-states,
particularly Salamis. 8. After the breakup of Alexander the Great's empire, who had
liberated the island from Persian rule, Cyprus became a part of the
Ptolemaic empire of Egypt. The Hellenistic period ended in 58 B.C.
with the arrival of the Romans. 9. In 45 A.D. Christianity was introduced to Cyprus by Apostles
Paul and Barnabas, a Cypriot. 10. In 330 A.D. Cyprus became part of the Eastern Section of the
Roman Empire, and later (395 A.D.) of the Byzantine Empire until
the 12th century A.D. 11. During the Crusades, Cyprus was conquered by Richard the
Lionheart of England (1191) who then sold the island to the Knights
Templar. Between 1192-1489, the Frankish Lusignans established a
Kingdom introducing the western feudal model. Cyprus was then ruled
by the Republic of Venice until 1571, when the island was conquered
by the Ottomans. The Ottoman occupation lasted until 1878 when
Cyprus was ceded to Britain. In 1923, under the Treaty of Lausanne,
Turkey relinquished every right to Cyprus and recognised Cyprus'
annexation to Britain, already proclaimed by the British Government
in 1914. 12. After a long but unsuccessful peaceful political and
diplomatic effort, which included the 1950 referendum for self-
determination, in 1955 the Greek Cypriots took up arms against the
colonial power. 13. During the anti-colonial struggle, the colonial government's
"divide-and-rule" policy caused for the first time, severe
fractures between the Greek Cypriot community and the Turkish
Cypriot community on the island. 14. On 16 August 1960, on the basis of the Zurich-London
Agreements, Cyprus became an independent Republic. 15. On 1 May 2004 the Republic of Cyprus became a Member State of
the European Union.
C. Population 16. The total population of Cyprus (end of 2006) was 867.600. 17. Population distribution by ethnic group: 75,1% Greek Cypriots;
10,2% Turkish Cypriots; 0,3% Armenians; 0,6% Maronites; 0,1%
Latins; and 13,7% others, i.e., foreign residents, mainly British,
Greek, other Europeans, Arabs and Southeast Asians. (Note: These
figures do not, of course, include the settlers, approximately 150-
160 thousands illegally, transferred from Turkey since the 1974
Turkish invasion in order to alter the demographic structure of
Cyprus, in contravention to international law, and the Turkish
occupation forces (approximately 35,000 troops). An estimated
57,000 Turkish Cypriots have emigrated since 1974. 18. As a result of the Turkish invasion and continuing occupation
37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, the Greek Cypriots
were forcibly expelled by the invading army from the northeastern
area it occupied and are now living in the Government-controlled
area. Almost all the Turkish Cypriots in the southeast were forced
by their leadership to move to the area occupied by Turkish troops.
Prior to the Turkish invasion, the two communities lived together
in roughly around the same proportion of four Greeks to one Turk in
all the six administrative districts. The vast majority of the
22,000 Greek and Maronite Cypriots who remained enclaved in the
area occupied by the Turkish army were subsequently expelled. By
the end of 2007 their numbers had dwindled to a mere 511, mostly
elderly, Greek (369) and Maronite (142) Cypriots. 19. The policies and practices pursued by Turkey in the occupied
area since its invasion of Cyprus constitute one of the first
examples of ethnic cleansing in post World-War II Europe.
D. Area under the effective control of the Government of the Republic 20. Population in the Government controlled area (2006 end):
778.700 Males: 383.400 Females: 395.300 21. Population distribution by age (2006 end): |0-14 years: |17,9% |
|15-64 years: |69,8% |
|65 + years: |12,3% |
22. Percentage of population (2006 end) in: |Urban areas: |69,7% |
|Rural areas: |30,3% |
23. Working population as a percentage of the population aged 15+
(2007): 61,9%. 24. The official languages of the country are Greek and Turkish.
Nearly all Greek Cypriots are Christian-orthodox; Turkish Cypriots
are Moslems; members of the Armenian, Maronite and Latin minorities
adhere to their own Christian denominations and under Article 2
par. 3 of the Constitution, have opted to belong to the Greek
Community of Cyprus.
E. Economy 25. The Cyprus economy is based on the free market system. The
private sector is the backbone of economic activity. The
government's role is basically limited to safeguarding a
transparent framework for the operation of the market mechanism,
the exercise of indicative planning and the provision of public
utilities and social services. 26. Although the blow inflicted on the economy by the Turkish
invasion of 1974 was devastating (the occupied part at that time
accounted for almost 70% of GDP), recovery was remarkable. The
decline in the volume of production experienced during 1974 was
quickly reversed and by 1977 it surpassed its pre-1974 level.
Business confidence returned followed by a sharp upturn of
investment. By 1979 conditions of full employment were restored.
The rate of unemployment, which approached 30% of the economically
active population during the second half of 1974, had been
virtually eliminated (1.8%) and the refugees were temporarily re-
housed, pending their return to their ancestral homes. 27. In more recent years (1997-2006) the economy has been growing
at an average rate of 3,5% in real terms. During 2007 GDP was
expected to reach the 15.4