The Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) has acknowledged Cyprus’s continued commitment to minority protection while calling for renewed efforts to address outstanding challenges in education, inclusion, and combating discrimination.
In its Sixth Opinion on Cyprus, adopted in July 2025 and published today, the FCNM Advisory Committee praised the country’s comprehensive legal and institutional framework safeguarding the rights of persons belonging to the Armenian, Latin, and Maronite national minorities, which are referred to as “religious groups” in domestic legislation.
It welcomed the decision to extend the Framework Convention’s application, on an article-by-article basis, to the Cyprus Roma.
Recognising Cyprus’s cultural diversity, the Advisory Committee commended national and local initiatives that foster intercultural dialogue, inclusion, and respect for diversity.
These initiatives include awareness-raising campaigns, specific school arrangements, and cultural support such as Armenian and Cypriot Maronite Arabic lessons, the establishment of cultural centres, and co-operation with international schools and organisations.
The authorities were also acknowledged for promoting education in and of minority languages, with arrangements designed to reflect the respective needs of the three religious groups and the Cyprus Roma. Moreover, the Committee welcomed Cyprus’s National Roma Strategic Framework 2021–2030, describing it as a key policy tool for advancing equality, inclusion, and participation of the Cyprus Roma.
At the same time, the Advisory Committee identified several areas requiring further attention. For instance, the Cyprus Roma are still not formally recognised in domestic legislation as a specific group to be protected.
Similarly, Turkish-speakers and persons affiliating with the Turkish Cypriot community encounter persistent difficulties in using their first language, despite Turkish being one of the two official languages of the Republic, the Council of Europe noted. The Advisory Committee encouraged the Cypriot authorities to strengthen institutional support for minority protection by empowering the Co-ordinator of Religious Groups with a clear mandate, adequate resources, and an extended role that specifically covers the Cyprus Roma.
Enhancing minority-language education remains a priority, notably by addressing the shortage of trained Armenian and Cypriot Maronite Arabic teachers, establishing university chairs in these subjects, and increasing the frequency and duration of lessons, especially at the secondary level.
In addition, Cyprus was urged to ensure the right to free self-identification is fully in line with the Framework Convention’s requirements.
Better data collection is also needed, and the authorities should publish without delay the 2021 census results concerning the Cyprus Roma population, disaggregated by ethnic affiliation, religion, and language, and support independent research on Roma culture, history, and traditions.
Efforts to combat hate speech and xenophobia should be intensified through comprehensive training for police, prosecutors, and judges, as well as continued public campaigns promoting mutual respect and tolerance. The opinion further recommended the full implementation of the National Strategic Framework for the Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Cyprus Roma 2021-2030 to ensure equal access to education, housing, healthcare, and social services.
Finally, the Advisory Committee called on the authorities to promote equal participation by allowing persons identifying as Armenian or Maronite to register for the election of their representatives without requiring certification from religious authorities.
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