The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) has received its first financial contribution from the Austrian government, amounting to €20,000. The donation, received on 12 June, will aid efforts to identify and return the remains of missing persons, providing long-awaited closure for families affected by the conflict.

Established in 1981 under United Nations auspices, the CMP operates through a bi-communal agreement between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. Its work on exhuming, identifying, and returning remains has been ongoing since 2006, with the European Union serving as its primary financial supporter.

To date, CMP has identified and returned the remains of 1,069 missing individuals from both communities. The committee depends on donations like Austria's to continue this sensitive and essential work in Cyprus.