Enforced disappearances: “High time to put the issue at
the top of UN member states’ agendas”
NEW YORK (24 October 2016) – The United Nations Working
Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances called on all governments to
once and for all engage seriously in the fight against enforced
disappearance.
“Every year we make similar calls expressing serious
concern about the persistence of this horrific practice. In spite of that, the
reality on the ground is alarming, as also reflected by the increase in new
cases reported to the Working Group,” told the UN General Assembly today Houria
Es Slami, who currently heads the expert body.
The experts expressed concern in particular about a steep
increase in the so-called ‘short-term disappearances’, the unacknowledged
deprivation of liberty which puts the individual concerned outside the
protection of the law for a limited amount of time. “We strongly reiterate that
there is no time limit, no matter how short, for an enforced disappearance to
occur,” Ms. Es Slami said.
“The road towards the eradication of enforced
disappearance is long and winding, but there are some steps that member states
can immediately take to reaffirm their commitment towards its eradication,” the
human rights expert emphasised.
“Fully cooperating with the Working Group – both in
relation to the individual cases and with respect to the country visits – would
be already a very significant step in the right direction,” she observed,
noting that country visits are aimed at assisting states in the implementation
of the 1992 Declaration on Protection of All Persons from Enforced
Disappearance, rather than at finger pointing or criticising.
“I call on all member states to seriously consider our
requests for visits. Let the Working Group assist states in combatting and
eradicating this scourge”, Ms. Es Slami said.
The expert also recommended the immediate ratification of
the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced
Disappearance as it provides the basis for the establishment of a solid legal
framework in the areas of prevention, punishment, reparation and non-recurrence
of enforced disappearances. “This ratification should be followed immediately
by implementing legislation, and, indeed, practice,” she stressed.
“There is no valid excuse for this Convention not to
become universally ratified,” she told all UN states members.
“It is high time to put on the top of the agenda of the
international community the fight against this offence to human dignity. This
is how this UN body defined enforced disappearance in 1992, when the
Declaration on Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance was
adopted. Let’s all commit today to give a meaning to these words,” Ms. Es Slami
concluded.
(*) Check the Working Group’s latest reports:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Disappearances/Pages/Annual.aspx
ENDS
The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
is comprised of five independent experts from all regions of the world. The
Chair-Rapporteur is Ms. Houria Es-Slami (Morocco) and the Vice-Chair is Mr.
Bernard Duhaime (Canada); other members are Mr. Tae-Ung Baik (Republic of
Korea), Mr. Ariel Dulitzky (Argentina) and Mr. Henrikas Mickevicius
(Lithuania).
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. It
continues to address cases of disappearances until they are resolved. It also
provides assistance in the implementation by States of the UN Declaration on
the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Learn more, log on
to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Disappearances/Pages/DisappearancesIndex.aspx
The Working Groups are part of what is known as the
Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest
body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name
of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special
Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by
the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or
thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are not UN staff and are
independent from any government or organization. They serve in their individual
capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.
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9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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