Georgios Iacovou

In 1972, he returned to Cyprus from the United Kingdom, and was appointed Director of the Cyprus Productivity Centre, where he introduced new management methods in industry and commerce, pioneering programmes for continuing education of business executives, such as a post-graduate management course that has been running for over thirty years.

Iacovou's work for refugees has had an important impact on subsequent developments in Cyprus, including what has been dubbed the Cypriot "economic miracle".

His work in the field has been nationally and internationally acknowledged, with his exposure to these people's problems influencing his subsequent career.

From April 1976 until January 1979, he served as Head of the Africa Department of the UN High Commission for Refugees in Geneva.

Nevertheless, he successfully pursued the condemnation of this action in the United Nations Security Council through the adoption of SC Resolutions 541 and 550.

His programme for the integration of several hundred thousand persons of Greek origin returning to Greece from the former Soviet Union was met with great success.

Following his return to Cyprus in 1997, he ran for office in the February 1998 presidential election as an independent candidate supported by the political parties AKEL and DIKO.