ABOUT THE COMMITTEE

LEGAL FRAMEWORK

Complaints, inquiries and visits

Participation

About treaty bodies

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ABOUT THE COMMITTEE

LEGAL FRAMEWORK

Complaints, inquiries and visits

Participation

About treaty bodies

Aside from its regular sessions and continuous work on urgent actions, the Committee issues statements, information notes and announcements, as well as participating in and organizing a variety of events, webinars and virtual discussions.

Some of these activities can be viewed online:

  • Launching first General Comment on “enforced disappearances in the context of migration”
    On the occasion of its ongoing 25th session, the Committee on Enforced Disappearances adopted its first General Comment on “enforced disappearances in the context of migration”, that the Committee decided to develop to raise awareness on the phenomenon, and to assist States in addressing their related obligations arising from the Convention. The official launching of this key document will take place on Thursday 28 September, 3pm-6pm Geneva time, Palais des Nations, Conference Room XXIII.
    The agenda of the event [WORD]
  • Event on the Joint Statement on Illegal Intercountry Adoptions (20 September 2023, Palais des Nations Room XXI) 
    In September 2022, a joint statement on illegal intercountry adoptions was adopted by the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Special Rapporteurs on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-Recurrence; on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children; on Trafficking in Persons, and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances on illegal intercountry adoptions.
    Illegal adoptions occur through a wide variety of illegal acts or illicit practices, such as the abduction and sale of and trafficking in children, falsification of documents, coercion and lack of proper consent, and can amount to enforced disappearances. These violations of human rights constitute serious crimes and create many victims. 
    One year after the adoption of their joint declaration, the five human rights mechanisms involved organise a joint event to raise awareness about the statement and its implications. The agenda of the event (English | Français | Español) includes testimonies of victims of illegal intercountry adoptions (adoptees and biological parents), as well as interventions of civil society organizations that support them, States and UN experts.
  • International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances (30 August 2023)
    Enforced disappearance: justice must be guaranteed without delay to all victims, say the IACHR, experts of the UN, of the ACHPR and of the ASEAN (English | Français | Español)
  • Between the sessions 22nd and 24th, Committee members participated in a large range of activities to promote the Convention and the Committee’s work.
    (English)
  • The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED), 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 Disappearances (28 September 2022)  have decided to issue a Joint Statement, in order to promote a human rights-based and gender sensitive approach to preventing and eradicating illegal intercountry, sometimes referred to as international, adoptions by identifying the rights which are violated through illegal intercountry adoptions and clarifying States’ obligations in this respect under international human rights law.
    (English)
  • International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances 2022 (30 August)
    Recalling that only victims can voice the suffering caused by enforced disappearances, the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) and the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances (WGEID) join in a video (English | Français | Español) calling for YOUR immediate action: please listen to the testimonies of victims and act now against enforced disappearances. (Also see on tweeter)
  • On 30 August 2022, the CED, the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights and the WGEID call on States to prevent and respond to the adverse effects faced by relatives of disappeared persons from a gender perspective.
  • On 28 March 2022, during the opening of its 22nd session, the Committee presented a short video of its visit to Mexico and launched the Manual: “Reporting under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance” (Part I – Manual | Part II – Training package). The Committee also paid a special tribute to all victims of enforced disappearance and other human rights violations that currently take place in Ukraine.
  • On 16 December 2021, the Committee on Enforced Disappearances and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) signed a roadmap to strengthen and systematise their coordination and cooperation against enforced disappearances [PDF]
  • From 15 to 26 November 2021, CED carried out a visit to Mexico in compliance with its mandate under article 33 of the Convention. During the press conference held at the end of the visit, the Delegation presented some general aspects identified during these two weeks, this without prejudice to the report that the Committee will adopt at its 22nd session from 28 March to 7 April 2022.
  • International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances 2021 (30 August)
    • In their joint statement, the CED and the WGEID recall the urgency to address the economic, social and cultural rights of victims of enforced disappearances. Also see on Tweeter
    • In his declaration, the UN Secretary General highlights that States must fulfil their obligations to prevent enforced disappearance, to search for the victims, and to investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators, and reiterates his call to all States to ratify the Convention for the Protection of all Persons against Enforced Disappearance and to work with the CED and the WGEID.
    • The CED, the IACHR & the WGEID join to recall the need for State authorities in charge of the search for disappeared persons and the investigation of their disappearance to systematically coordinate their work. Also see on Tweeter
  • On 3 March 2021, the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED), the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID), and the International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED) held a joint webinar on “sharing experiences and positive outcomes of actions taken to promote the ratification of the Convention and way forward”.
  • Webinar on Enforced Disappearances: Practical and diplomatic challenges (Français)
    12 January 2021
  • Joint Webinars by CED and WGEID: 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the UN Working Group on enforced and involuntary disappearances (WGEID) and the 10th anniversary of the entry into force, on 23 December 2010, of the UN International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. To mark this, the WGEID and the CED convened two joint online events on the search for victims of enforced disappearances, and the investigation of their disappearance. Part I and Part II are available to watch now on UN Web TV.
    25 September 2020
  • The First Conference of the States parties to the International Convention for the Protection of all from Enforced Disappearance
    December 2016
  • Commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance: Programme and Concept note in English | Français
    11 March 2016
Key statements
Historic event

Stand up 4 Human Rights: stand up for the disappeareds
30 August 2017

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