A/HRC/22/51/Add.1 34. Although the Cyprus conflict is of a political nature, religion does play a role in that conflict, since it has been seen as a major defining factor of the two ethnic communities on which the “bi-communal” structure of the State is based. As described above, this is even reflected in the 1960 Constitution, which formally connects ethnic and religious identities. This connection obviously continues to have great significance for understanding the present political situation in Cyprus. As a result, political positions taken by high-ranking religious representatives, in particular the Greek Orthodox Archbishop and the Islamic Mufti, can have an enormous influence on the development of the relationship between the two official ethnic communities.5 Although there seems to be a general readiness on the part of religious leaders to work towards reconciliation, the Special Rapporteur also noticed signs of resentment and distrust, possibly stemming from a lack of interreligious dialogue. He generally experienced varying attitudes towards interreligious communication. Whereas the majority of interlocutors spoke positively about the need for more dialogue and cooperation, some representatives of religious communities insisted on first of all preserving their own religious or cultural interests, even at the expense of possible deterioration in relations with other communities. 35. The close connection between religion and ethnicity has repercussions on the perception of the situation of historical religious monuments in various parts of the island. Questions of archaeology and of the preservation of cultural heritage are generally seen through the lens of the Cyprus conflict and hence can become highly politicized. For instance, the deplorable condition of hundreds of Christian monuments in the northern part – partially due to deliberate acts of vandalism or even looting and partially as a result of neglect – is sometimes perceived as a continuation of the political conflict, possibly even with the long-term purpose of eliminating the traces of Christianity in the northern part. At the same time, from the perspective of the northern part, matters such as insufficient maintenance of Islamic cemeteries and restricted access to historical mosques located in the southern part at times tend to be associated with deliberate policies of humiliating the Muslim population. The Special Rapporteur found it impossible to assess the various accounts presented to him in this regard. However, he noticed a tendency towards “overpoliticized” perceptions of existing problems. 36. The Special Rapporteur highly appreciates the important work conducted by the BiCommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage to tackle the numerous unsettled issues in a spirit of tolerance, cooperation, dialogue and respect for differences. As well as helping to preserve the cultural wealth of the entire island, the approach taken by the BiCommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage may also contribute to overcoming possibly “over-politicized” interpretations of the situation of historical monuments which might poison the relationship between the ethnic and religious communities in Cyprus. The Committee decided to start two restoration pilot projects, agreed to compile a list of the immovable cultural heritage of Cyprus, and decided to create an educational interactive programme that would give the younger generation of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots the opportunity to learn about each other and the cultural heritage of the island. Furthermore, it agreed to establish an Advisory Board for the protection of cultural heritage on the entire island and form a joint team of experts from the northern and southern parts to prepare the plans for emergency support measures and restoration projects for priority monuments. On 21 February 2012, the Committee agreed to proceed with immediate action for emergency support for the Monastery of Apostolos Andreas as a first stage and to 5 According to the State protocol, the Archbishop of Cyprus is considered as number 2 in the order of precedence of the Republic of Cyprus, whereas the heads or representatives of other religious groups are placed at number 24. (http://www.mfa.gov.cy/mfa/mfa2006.nsf/protocol02_en/protocol02_en?OpenDocument). 9