New strategies needed to combat enforced disappearances, say UN experts

New York (19 July 2013) - On the occasion of its 100th session, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances* called for new strategies to fight this crime and warned against impunity.

“The changing situation of enforced disappearances requires new strategies to counter this crime,” said the experts during a public event organised to coincide with the group’s 100th session.

“It is not a crime of the past; on the contrary it is a phenomenon which affects all regions of the world, with the false and pernicious belief that it is a useful tool to preserve national security and combat terrorism or organized crime,” they added.

The experts also warned that impunity for this crime largely prevails. “Efforts should be strengthened to ensure prompt identification and qualification of cases of enforced disappearances, which is essential to make perpetrators of this crime accountable,” they said. They also emphasized the importance of preserving collective and individual memories and of expanding the use of forensic expertise and DNA testing in seeking the truth behind disappearances.

Taking stock of 33 years of work combatting enforced disappearance, the Working Group’s session in New York included a public event attended by the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonović, international experts on enforced disappearances, associations of relatives of disappeared people, civil society organizations and Government representatives.
The event also aimed at putting this crucial issue higher on the New York agenda, and to create a space for reflection on what has been achieved and the challenges that lie ahead in countering this crime.
During its 100th session, the experts examined under their urgent action procedure 17 reported cases of enforced disappearance that have occurred in the last six months, as well as more than 400 newly reported or existing cases.
The cases under review concerned Albania, Algeria, Bahrain, Belarus, the Central African Republic, Colombia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, El Salvador, Honduras, Kuwait, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

The Working Group also announced that it is to examine how enforced disappearances affect victims’ economic, social and cultural rights. The independent experts’ study on this topic will be included in the Working Group’s next annual report to the Human Rights Council in September 2014.

The group of independent experts also continued discussions on how to make its methods of work more effective, forthcoming and potential country visits, as well as other future activities. The experts also continued their discussions in preparation for the visit to Spain from 23 to 30 September 2013.

During their session, the experts met Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children; Adama Dieng, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide; Emmanuel Decaux, Chair of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances; and Kathryne Bomberger, Director General of the International Commission on Missing Persons.

The Working Group also held meetings with family members of disappeared persons and non-governmental organizations, and informal bilateral meetings with States to exchange information with a view to enhancing cooperation.

Ariel Dulitzky was appointed as the next Chair-Rapporteur. He will take office on 1 October 2013. The Working Group will hold its 101st session in Geneva from 4 to 13 November 2013.

(*) The Working Group is comprised of five independent experts from all regions of the world. The Chair-Rapporteur is Mr. Olivier de Frouville (France) and the Vice-Chair Rapporteur is Mr. Osman El-Hajjé (Lebanon). The other members are Mr. Ariel Dulitzky (Argentina), Ms. Jasminka Dzumhur (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Mr. Jeremy Sarkin (South Africa).

ENDS

The Working Group was established by the UN Commission on Human Rights in 1980 to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of disappeared relatives. It endeavours to establish a channel of communication between the families and the Governments concerned, to ensure that individual cases are investigated, with the objective of clarifying the whereabouts of persons who, having disappeared, are placed outside the protection of the law. In view of the Working Group's humanitarian mandate, clarification occurs when the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person are clearly established. The Working Group continues to address cases of disappearances until they are resolved. It also provides assistance in the implementation by States of the United Nations Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

**To read more, please go to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Disappearances/Pages/100thsessioneventNewYork.aspx

For more information on the Working Group, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Disappearances/Pages/DisappearancesIndex.aspx

To submit cases to the Working Group: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/issues/Disappearances/Communication_form_E.doc

Read the Working Group’s 2012 report to the UN Human Rights Council: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session22/A.HRC.22.45_English.pdf

For more information and media requests, please contact Mr. Ugo Cedrangolo (+41 22 917 9286 / wgeid@ohchr.org) or Ms. Yiyao Zhang (+41 22 917 9634 / wgeid@ohchr.org)