Background

The Committee on Enforced Disappearances and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances recall that enforced disappearance is prohibited in all circumstances, and call on member States to continue, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to respect their international obligations.

Summary

The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the Committee on Enforced Disappearances wish to call the attention of States to eight key guidelines to be taken into account by States in the COVID-19 context:

1. Enforced disappearances remain strictly prohibited in all circumstances.
2. Search and investigation into enforced disappearances cannot be discontinued and must be carried out without delay.
3. Information on individuals deprived of their liberty including those subjected to compulsory quarantine should be provided to their families and monitoring should continue.
4. Bodies of the deceased should be dealt with in a manner permitting identification by relatives and remains should be treated in line with their tradition, religion and culture.
5. Access to information should be assured.
6. Relatives of disappeared persons, their representatives and surviving victims of enforced disappearances should be supported and empowered, and protected from harassment or reprisals.
7. Enforced disappearance of migrants should be prevented and terminated.
8. Enforced disappearance of women and of children born in detention should be prevented and terminated.