“Peace is the only sustainable legacy we can leave for future generations"

I joined UNFICYP in January 2021 as a patrol officer in the sector 2, at the time I had already thirteen years of experience in policing in my home country. Here in Cyprus, I work with my military and civilian counterparts every day to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order in the buffer zone. Part of my duties include monitoring civilian activity in our area of operations and, overall, to assist in the return to normal conditions within the area. I also interact with local counterparts on both sides of the island. Peacekeeping in Cyprus is a challenging experience, given the political sensitivities, but immensely rewarding.

My desire to work, learn and share experiences from different countries with different cultural backgrounds, was a reason for joining the UN Peacekeeping operation, because this is the biggest and most diversified organization one can find herself in, and to get enlightened and widened your horizons.

The nature of my job in the Mission requires skills to be able to coordinate with the law enforcement agencies of both parties, this role has immensely helped my communication and negotiation skills, how to compromise, accept people’s ideas and be patient in dealing with issues.

To maintain a peaceful situation within the buffer zone, I work closely with sector 2 peacekeepers, we conduct patrolling on a regular basis, and we communicate any incidents observed in the area and commence joint patrols late at night.

My work really motivates me, especially when I see the quick response and diligent follow-up by relevant military personnel, civil affairs section, and management. What inspires me is that this cooperation helps to achieve fruitful outcomes and led to many successes and achievements, most notably, resolving disputes between farmers and helping them get along with each other while still maintaining a peaceful situation within the buffer zone.

During my work at Ledra, I served as an acting deputy sector commander and had a unique experience working in this position, especially during Pope Francis visit to Cyprus in early December, the event took place at the holy cross church and Maronite cathedral, which is located within a civil use area of the buffer zone. I gained a lot of experience during this period, UNFICYP uniformed and civilian peacekeepers worked closely with Cypriot authorities and the Vatican security team to ensure the security of the Pope while in the buffer zone. We worked non-stop during this period for 3 days. We forgot about fatigue and thought only about the success of our work. At the end of an intense 3-days, we were rewarded by meeting the Pope personally. One of my achievements in sector 2, was working and handling with the case of asylum seekers who had been stranded inside the buffer zone. We provided them medical facilities and look after them during their stay. This humanitarian work made me recall that the United Nations’ Charter beginning: “We the peoples.”

If I were to give any advice to police officers who want to work as a peacekeeper is that, sometimes, it is not as hard as we see it. In some cases, it is challenging but through overcoming challenges, we grow stronger to be able to break barriers.

I really feel that devoting myself to a larger cause through peace operations is the best thing I have ever done. I am proud of being a UN peacekeeper serving under the UN flag in Cyprus. I will always encourage people to join peace operations because peace is the only sustainable legacy we can leave for future generations.