António Guterres reappoints his personal envoy to Cyprus

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the reappointment of María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar as his personal envoy to Cyprus.

According to a UN statement, the Secretary-General has asked the Colombian diplomat to re-engage with the parties in order to advance work on the Cyprus issue and to continue advising him on the situation on the island. This appointment comes a month and a half after the informal meeting on the Cyprus issue held in Geneva on 17–18 March.

It is worth recalling that María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar previously served as Guterres' personal envoy to Cyprus for six months — from January to July 2024.

Her role was to maintain contact with the leaders of both communities on the island and to seek common ground for resuming constructive dialogue. Following these contacts, the diplomat concluded that there was no shared basis between the parties for the continuation of comprehensive negotiations.

María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar served as Colombia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2018 and represented the President of Colombia in the peace negotiations held in Havana, Cuba’s capital, in 2015 and 2016.

Her diplomatic career includes posts such as Colombia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador to Venezuela, and Deputy Foreign Minister.

The UN Secretary-General's envoy to Cyprus speaks English, French, and Spanish.