Bi-Communal Research Project ‘Inclusive Peacebuilding: The Technical Committees in Cyprus’ funded by the European Union has started

On 18 March 2023, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Law, Alternative and Innovative Methods (ICLAIM) and the Human Rights Platform started to implement the project named ‘Inclusive Peacebuilding: The Technical Committees in Cyprus’ which was funded by the European Union under the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community. The three-year project focuses on 12 bicommunal Technical Committees in different areas, that were established by the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot community leaders to ‘address issues that affect the day-to-day life of people, through encouraging and facilitating greater interaction and understanding between the two communities’.

The objective of the research project is to generate knowledge, and draw lessons relating to, the operation and effectiveness of the 12 different bicommunal Technical Committees that have been operating in Cyprus for more than a decade. In light of this, the project aims to (a) develop a better understanding of what the Committees do and how they operate; (b) explore whether/how their work mainstreams rights-based approaches, gender equality, accessibility, ecology, and youth empowerment; (c) assess whether they have been successful in responding to the daily problems affecting Cypriots; (d) examine whether they have been successful peacebuilding institutions. Methodologically, this will be done through theoretical research, a series of interviews and focus groups, and through the use of questionnaires.

The project will involve training civil society organisations on the Technical Committees and target the Committees and civil society organisations, to help them cooperate more effectively with each other. The research results will be disseminated through activities with relevant stakeholders and biannual newsletters.

This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole
responsibility of ICLAIM and the Human Rights Platform and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the European Union.