WASHINGTON/New York: The United States and the United Nations on Wednesday stepped up pressure on all governments to work towards ending the issue of enforced disappearances and missing persons and bring to justice those responsible for this offence.
“We urge those responsible for enforced disappearances to immediately cease this practice, disclose information about the victims to their loved ones, and either release the victims unconditionally or return the remains of those who have tragically lost their lives,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement released in Washington to mark International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in New York, strongly condemned the heinous crime of enforced disappearances and called on all Member States to hold perpetrators accountable. On social media platform X, Guterres described enforced disappearance as a grave human rights violation and called for collective efforts to end this atrocious crime.
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) defines enforced disappearance as the arrest, detention, or abduction of an individual by the State or a group authorized by the State, followed by the deliberate hiding of the person’s whereabouts. This practice is recognized as a crime under International Human Rights Law, often involving torture and instilling constant fear in the victims. Families are left in the dark about the fate of their loved ones, living with uncertainty and hope for news that may never arrive.
Across at least 85 countries worldwide, hundreds of thousands of individuals have gone missing during conflicts or times of repression, as stated by the UN. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, emphasized the ongoing struggle faced by families and friends of the disappeared, advocating for truth, justice, protection, accountability, transparency, and redress for all victims.
Enforced disappearance, once associated mainly with military dictatorships, has evolved into a global issue, transcending geographical boundaries. It has frequently been utilized as a tool for political repression. Blinken underscored that the problem of enforced disappearances and missing persons is a global concern that demands a collective response. He also urged governments to cease any harassment or retaliatory actions against individuals advocating for the rights of victims of enforced disappearances. —APP
