WASHINGTON, Aug 30 : The United States and the United Nations Friday marked the ‘International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances’, with a call to the perpetrators of enforced disappearances to cease this practice and return victims to their families.
“Enforced disappearance is an egregious human rights violation that inflicts the trauma of indeterminate detention or disappearance on its victims, whom all too often are targeted for their dissent or advocacy for human rights and democracy,” US Secretary of State Tony Blinken said in a statement as the day was observed.
In New York, a statement made on behalf of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said,”Hundreds of thousands of people have vanished during conflicts or periods of repression in at least 85 countries around the world.
“Once largely the product of military dictatorships, enforced disappearances can nowadays be perpetrated in complex situations of internal conflict, especially as a means of political repression against opponents,” the UN chief’s Spokesperson, Stephaane Dujarric told reporters at the regular noon briefing.
“The families whose people have disappeared have a right to know what’s happened to their loved ones. Have a right to have their loved ones released or, at least, have information about their whereabouts. And we encourage all Member States to act in that fashion.”
In his remarks, Secretary Blinken also said, “Families of those forcibly disappeared also suffer immensely, not knowing where their loved ones are, or whether they are alive or dead. The agony that enforced disappearance inflicts on the victims and their families is unimaginable…
The United States urges governments everywhere to put an end to this practice, hold perpetrators accountable, and respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all.”
In Geneva, UN and regional human rights experts issued a joint statement urging all actors to join forces immediately to support victims of enforced disappearance and ensure that their rights and obligations as codified in regional and international treaties and other legal instruments, become a reality for all:
The statement said, “Victims of enforced disappearance include any individual who has suffered harm as a direct result. They still face unbearable challenges, and impunity prevails. We renew our solidarity with victims of enforced disappearance, as well as organisations, human rights defenders and lawyers that support them.
“Despite ongoing attempts to search for truth, justice and reparation, and even with the specialised national, regional and international frameworks in place, victims and those that support them are too often met with silence, or with the rejection of their allegations.
“Clear commitments and action plans remain necessary. Progress can be achieved when all concerned parties work together.
“The forthcoming World Congress on Enforced Disappearances, which will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, on 15 and 16 January 2025, presents a crucial opportunity to bring States, victims and their representative organizations, national human rights institutions and experts together to find actionable solutions to eliminate and prevent enforced disappearances and promote the universal ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons against Enforced Disappearances.
“The World Congress will allow us to identify and adopt concrete actions to address these concerns and pledge to implement them under our respective mandates. We encourage all actors involved in the fight against enforced disappearances to make the most of this event and to commit to concrete action.
“On this International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, we reiterate our shared commitment to assisting victims worldwide and our call for collective action to end this scourge, once and for all.”
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