The Cyprus problem has defeated all attempts to resolve it for more than forty years. From 1996 onwards the UN, with strong support from the US, the UK and other EU members, mounted the most sustained of all the efforts to reach an agreement, so that a reunited Cyprus could join the EU in May 2004. Although it came closer to success than any previous attempt, this one failed too. From his unique position as the former British Special Representative for Cyprus, Lord (formerly Sir David) Hannay tells the story of these negotiations. What results is a revealing first-hand account of a profoundly complex situation, an exceptional reference point for all those interested in the region.

Lord Hannay of Chiswick was a British Diplomat for 36 years, ending his career as Britain's representative to the UN. Following his retirement in 1995, Hannay was the British Special Representative for Cyprus for seven years. He is currently a member of both the EU Selection Committee and the UN Secretary-General's High House Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.