Committee on Enforced Disappearances Closes Twenty-Third Session After Adopting Concluding Observations on Reports of the Czech Republic, Mali and Uruguay

The Committee on Enforced Disappearances this afternoon closed its twenty-third session after adopting its concluding observations on the reports of Mali, the Czech Republic and Uruguay.

Carmen Rosa Villa Quintana, Committee Chairperson, said the session had encompassed two intense, fruitful weeks of work. The review of the initial report of the Czech Republic was welcomed by the Committee, although the Committee remained concerned that the State party still had not adapted domestic legislation in line with the Convention. The dialogue with Mali saw the presence of a high-level delegation, and the Committee welcomed the approval of the draft criminal code. The Committee welcomed the measures adopted by Uruguay in terms of justice and reconciliation, while noting with concern the slow pace of investigations.

Ms. Villa Quintana said that work during the session had been conducted on several joint projects, including a declaration on illegal inter-country adoptions with Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-recurrence, the Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material, the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance.

Juan Pablo Albán-Alencastro, Committee Rapporteur, presenting the report of the session, which was held in Geneva from 12 to 23 September, said the Committee had adopted its concluding observations on the reports of the Czech Republic, Mali and Uruguay. In preparation for future consideration of reports, the Committee had adopted lists of issues relating to the reports submitted by Ukraine and Morocco.

The Rapporteur said that during its session, the Committee had held productive meetings with the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; the Committee on the Rights of the Child; the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, and with civil society organizations. The Committee had also discussed its working methods, in particular on the conduct of future visits; its urgent action mechanism; the process of adopting its General Comment on enforced disappearances in the context of migration; and a declaration on non-State actors and enforced disappearances. The Committee had also decided to start work on the future adoption of an interpretative declaration on so-called short-term disappearances, a project with the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances.

All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by State parties, can be found on the session’s webpage, where documents relating to the Committee’s review of Mali, the Czech Republic and Uruguay will soon be available. Meeting summaries of its public meetings can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed at http://webtv.un.org/

The Committee’s twenty-fourth session will be held in 2023, with the exact dates as well as the country reports to be reviewed to be announced at a later date.