• The Cyprus Forum is a new independent and ambitious annual conference, aiming to become a lever and a catalyst for change through discussions and debate on current issues and important areas of public policy 
• EY presented the panel “The importance of the justice system in improving the attractiveness of Cyprus” and also participated in the panel “How to make the built environment and our cities smart and visually attractive”

EY Cyprus was the proud Platinum Sponsor at the Cyprus Forum, an independent annual conference, organised for the first time in Cyprus by the non-profit organisation Oxygono, in association with the Delphi Economic Forum, on Saturday, 3rd October 2020, at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre. The Forum marks the 60th anniversary of the declaration of independence of the Republic of Cyprus, bringing together local and foreign political leaders, important figures from the public and the private sector, the media, academia and civic society, with the aim of initiating dialogue, exchanging ideas and finding new and creative solutions to key areas of public policy.

Κeynote speakers at the Forum were, the EU Commissioner for Health & Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides and the President of the Cyprus Parliament, Demetris Syllouris. The array distinguished speakers included key government officials, political leaders, academics, as well as prominent business executives and other stakeholders. Main subjects of discussion included, gender equality in politics; the built environment and smart cities; Cyprus attractiveness and the role of the Justice system; the role of higher education for prosperity; climate change and its implications in Cyprus; the future of healthcare; foreign policy and Cyprus’ role in the region; fiscal policies of recovery and resilience.

EY Cyprus presented the panel “The importance of the justice system in improving the attractiveness of Cyprus”. Charalambos Prountzos, Partner, Central, Eastern, Southeastern Europe and Central Asia (CESA) Law Leader and Head of Law & Fund Services of EY Cyprus, moderated the discussion as Chair. The panel consisted of high profile speakers, the Minister of Justice and Public Order of the Republic of Cyprus, Mrs. Emily Yiolitis, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law at Council of Europe, Mr. Christos Giakoumopoulos, Mr. Dimitri Papaefstratiou, Partner at EY Law UK, and CEO of Invest Cyprus, Mr. George Campanellas.

On the occasion of EY’s participation at the Cyprus Forum, Charalambos Prountzos noted: “We are proud to be Platinum Sponsors of this prestigious Forum, which seeks to become a catalyst for change in Cyprus through informed debate, leading to actionable conclusions. The panel I had the honour to moderate, dealt with improvements in our justice system, an issue that is critical in strengthening the attractiveness of Cyprus as an investment destination. Participants in the panel offered valuable insights and recommendations on a number of factors that can help improve the investment climate in our country, and the need to eliminate delays in our legal proceedings.”

Additionally, EY Partner, Charalambos Constantinou, Head of Consulting, participated as a speaker at the panel entitled “How to make the built environment and our cities smart and visually attractive.” During his contribution, Charalambos Constantinou noted that rapid urbanization, drastic societal and technology disruptions, continuously evolving citizen expectations, and infrastructure aging are some of the reasons we experience inefficiencies in our cities. He also pointed out that although there are challenges, our city leaders should start thinking how to make our cities Smart which will contribute towards improving our quality of life. In order to do so, he suggested that each city should start engaging with stakeholders (citizens, the government, businesses), define their vision, determine priorities and develop an implementation roadmap.

The Forum was successfully completed, establishing the first of its kind in Cyprus that seeks to redefine decision-making through fruitful discussion and exchange of views amongst political leaders, academia and the business community. This is something that EY strongly supports and is aligned with, through our main purpose of giving back to society and contributing in creating a better working world.