The island of Cyprus has been divided into two communities – Greek Cypriot in the south and Turkish Cypriot in the north – for more than three decades, following inter-communal violence and conflict during the 1960s and 1970s.

Over the decades, repeated attempts have been made to bring the two communities back together again, address the past and reunite the divided island. The leaders of the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities have engaged periodically in UN-brokered talks to try to find a comprehensive settlement. Only through dialogue, trust-building and cooperation between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will lasting peace be possible.

During periods of violence and conflict in Cyprus in the 1960s and 1970s, around 500 Turkish Cypriots and 1,500 Greek Cypriots were reported missing. While they were assumed to have been killed, their bodies were never found. Since 2007, the bi-communal Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus has been working to recover the remains of these missing persons and return them to their families. This initiative is an essential part of the healing process for Cypriots affected by past conflict on the island.