Ambassador Urbancic gave the hard-working CMP archaeologists and lab technicians a break from the summer heat by hosting a lunch and pool party in their honor at the Embassy Residence

Dozens of men and women toil, largely unnoticed, in the hot sun each day in isolated fields and laboratories for the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP). U.S. Ambassador Frank C. Urbancic, Jr. gave these hard-working CMP archaeologists and lab technicians a break from the summer heat by hosting a lunch and pool party in their honor at the Embassy Residence on July 17, 2009. It was a small “thank you” for the vital work these men and women do here in Cyprus.

As a result of the events of 1963-64 and 1974, there are 502 Turkish Cypriots and 1,493 Greek Cypriots who have been officially reported to the CMP as missing persons. The primary objective of the CMP is to enable relatives of missing persons to recover the remains of their loved ones, arrange for proper burials, and, hopefully, close a long period of anguish and uncertainty. By helping to heal old wounds, the CMP contributes to reconciliation between both communities. The CMP staff itself reflects this bi-communal spirit, with mixed teams of Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot scientists, at times aided by international experts, working together in a common effort to bring closure to the families of the missing.

In recognition of the importance and impact of the CMP, the United States has donated over $500,000 to the CMP since April 2007.