Summary

The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances was established pursuant to resolution 20 (XXXVI) of the Commission on Human Rights and its mandate was most recently extended by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 45/3. 

The mandate of the Working Group is to assist the families of disappeared persons to ascertain the fate and whereabouts of their disappeared relatives, to assist States and monitor their compliance with their obligations deriving from the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and provide States with assistance in the prevention and eradication of enforced disappearances.

Since its inception in 1980, the Working Group has transmitted a total of 60,703 cases to 112 States. The number of cases under active consideration that have not yet been clarified, closed or discontinued stands at 47,774 in a total of 97 States. During the reporting period, 80 cases were clarified.

The present report reflects the activities of and communications and cases examined by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances from 13 May 2022 to 12 May 2023.