Joint Webinar: Sharing experiences and positive outcomes of actions taken to promote ratification

On 3 March, the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, and the International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances held a joint webinar on‘sharing experiences and positive outcomes of actions taken to promote the ratification of the Convention and way forward’.  

The High Commissioner delivered an opening speech, highlighting the importance of the universal ratification of the Convention for the protection of all persons against enforced disappearance, and reiterating the support of the Office in this endeavour.

Panel speakers included high level representatives from States, victims of enforced disappearances and CSOs from Argentina, Bosnia Herzegovina, France, Indonesia, Lebanon, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines and Sudan. Speakers underlined that enforced disappearances remain a worldwide scourge that can amount to a crime against humanity, and that all States have the responsibility to eradicate and prevent them, including through the ratification of the Convention and the recognition of the Committee’s competence to examine individual and interstate communications. All insisted on the key role of the actions taken by civil society, national human rights institutions and human rights mechanisms to this end.

More than 250 people from all regions of the world took part in the webinar.

Watch the full event and consult the agenda for the full list of speakers.