Committee on missing persons in Cyprus receives recent financial contributions

The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) recently received a €380,000 contribution from the Republic of Cyprus and a €20,000 donation from Austria. These funds are earmarked to support the CMP's humanitarian operations in 2026, aimed at locating, identifying, and returning the remains of missing individuals to their families. Established in 1981 under United Nations auspices, the CMP is a bicommunal body composed of representatives from both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. Since its exhumation and identification project became operational in 2006, the committee has identified 1,069 missing persons out of an official list of 2,002 individuals. The European Union remains the organization's primary financial contributor, with recent additional support from countries such as the United Kingdom. The CMP’s forensic team consists of over 60 professionals who conduct excavations and laboratory analyses across the island. The committee emphasizes that its mandate is strictly humanitarian and does not include assigning responsibility for deaths or disappearances.