UN WORKING GROUP ON ENFORCED OR INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCES CONCLUDES 95TH SESSION AND ADOPTS ANNUAL REPORT

The United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances concluded its 95th session, which was held from 1 to 11 November 2010, at the United Nations Office in Geneva.

During its 95th session, the Working Group examined 36 reported cases under its urgent action procedure, 460 newly-submitted cases of enforced disappearances and information on previously accepted cases concerning the following States: Argentina, Bahrain, Belarus, China, Chad, Colombia, Republic of the Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, Honduras, Greece, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Yemen and Zimbabwe. Government responses to urgent appeals, prompt intervention letters, general allegations and other communications from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Colombia, Georgia, Guatemala, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Italy, Morocco, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic and Thailand were also reviewed.

The Working Group also examined allegations submitted by credible sources regarding obstacles encountered in the implementation of the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and decided to transmit General Allegations to the concerned Governments.

The Working Group received delegations from the governments of Algeria, Iraq, Japan and Mexico to exchange views on individual cases and on the issue of enforced disappearance in general. It also met non-governmental organizations and family members of disappeared persons regarding obstacles encountered in the implementation of the Declaration in their respective countries. Members of the Working Group also held a series of informal bilateral meetings with some States with a view to enhance cooperation.

In addition, the Working Group met for the first time with the Committee on Enforced Disappearances to establish methodologies for coordination and an exchange of experiences and views. They decided to convene joint meetings in the future.

The Working Group also finalized and approved its 2011 annual report, which includes chapters on 95 States and a general comment on the right to recognition as a person before the law in the context of enforced disappearance. The report also includes all new cases and those already under consideration, and the Working Group’s major concerns and observations. The report will be presented at the 19th session of the Human Rights Council, in March 2012, together with the report on the Working Group’s official missions to Timor-Leste, Mexico and the Republic of the Congo undertaken in 2011 and follow up reports. All these documents will become public at the beginning of 2012.

The Working Group welcomes that 30 countries ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, that 12 of these countries have accepted the competence of the Committee to receive individual cases under article 31, and that 12 have accepted the competence of the Committee with regard to inter-State complaints, under article 32 of the Convention. The Working Group reiterates its call to States that have not signed and/or ratified the Convention to do so as soon as possible. It also calls upon States, when ratifying the Convention, to accept the competence of the Committee under articles 31 and 32 of the Convention.

The Working Group was established by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 1980 to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of disappeared relatives. The Working Group 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 is clearly established. The Working Group continues to address cases of disappearances until they are resolved. The Working Group also provides assistance in the implementation by States of the United Nations Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

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


For more information on the WGEID, please refer to the following web site: http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/disappear/index.htm

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For use of the information media; not an official record

HR11/249E