Summary

The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 76/228 of 24 December 2021, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to conduct a study on how to bolster efforts to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing people in the Syrian Arab Republic, identify human remains and provide support to their families.

Reflecting the results of broad consultations, the report acknowledges that families from across the Syrian Arab Republic face systematic challenges to know the fate and whereabouts of their relatives, including those who are arbitrarily detained, forcibly disappeared or abducted or have gone missing in connection with human rights violations or abuses. Based on an overview of existing mechanisms and measures, the report contains an outline of good practices and gaps and obstacles related to clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing persons and supporting their families. It also highlights the multifaceted challenges and needs of the families, in particular the gendered impact of disappearances.

Any measure towards addressing the continuing tragedy of missing persons in the Syrian Arab Republic requires a coherent and holistic approach going beyond current efforts. The report therefore presents a framework combining proposals to improve existing mechanisms and the creation of a new institution dedicated to clarifying the fate and whereabouts of persons reasonably believed to be missing in the Syrian Arab Republic and to providing adequate support to victims, survivors and the families of those missing.