News (Consolidated) - UNSOM

Adnan Al-Sinawi has served in numerous UN peace operations including Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq since he joined the Organization in 2001. Originally from Iraq, he is currently based in Nicosia where he leads application support for UNFICYP’s Field Technology Services Unit. In this short interview…

Vildana Sedo from Bosnia and Herzegovina has more than 22 years of experience in policing in her country. She has served in several UN peace operations, including Liberia, Afghanistan and Libya. In her current role as Deputy Sector Commander, UNPOL, for UNFICYP’s Sector Two, Vildana capitalizes on a…

Major Maarten Magee, from the United Kingdom, joined the British Army in 2006 to undertake the Regular Commissioning Course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2007. While Maarten has served in Afghanistan and been deployed to various international…

Cathal McGeoghan hails from Ireland and started his policing career with An Garda Síochána (The Irish National Police Service) in 2004. He has held several roles in the past 15 years is currently assigned to uniformed patrol duties in Dublin. UNFICYP is Cathal’s first deployment with the United…

Platoon Sergeant Katarina Zahorska from Slovakia is UNFICYP’s first female photographer since the Mission’s inception in 1964. Here Katarina, a former school teacher, single mother and talented pianist, takes a minute to stand in front of the lens to speak about her love for the military and why…

Today we honor more than one million men and women who have served as United Nations peacekeepers since our first mission in 1948. We remember the more than 3,800 personnel who paid the ultimate price. And we express our deepest gratitude to the 100,000 civilian, police and military peacekeepers…

Two intercommunal Women’s Walks have taken place in Cyprus so far this year. The first event was held on 12 January 2019; more than 100 men and women joined a walking tour of north Nicosia followed by a presentation by guest speakers Androulla Vassiliou and Didem Erel at the Centre for Visual Arts…

On 11 June 2019, the last regular meeting of the NGO Networking Group was held at the Ledra Palace Hotel in the UN Buffer Zone, Nicosia. Junior Achievement-Cyprus, a nongovernmental organisation, presented their work at the forum which was followed by a discussion among participants on the…

On 12 June 2019, the UNFICYP Environmental Committee organized numerous activities to commemorate World Environment Day. The event included outdoor activities such as bicycle orienteering and a safety ride as well as a walk around the UN Protected Area in Nicosia, Cyprus. More than 100 UNFICYP…

On 3 July 2019, the Jordanian flag was raised at UNFICYP headquarters in Nicosia, Cyprus, by Mutaz Hayajneh, the first United Nations Police (UNPOL) officer representing his country in the Mission. Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNFICYP Elizabeth Spehar; the…

From 24-26 July 2019, the Under-Secretary General (USG) for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, visited the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). During his visit, Mr. Lacroix met with the leaders of the two communities on the island as well as civil society and community representatives. He…

Nicosia, 22 August 2019 – As hunting season commences in Cyprus, UNFICYP cautions that such activities in the buffer zone, as well as the use of weapons, dogs or equipment in this context, is a security risk and strictly prohibited. The Mission strongly urges hunters to refrain from dangerous or…