The 28th session of the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances begins in Geneva today and will end on April 4, 2025.
This session aims to address the issue of enforced disappearances of individuals in various countries. Reports concerning Serbia, Gambia, Central African Republic, Belgium, and Malta will be reviewed.
The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances is composed of independent experts who monitor the implementation of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance by the states that are parties to the convention.
The committee and its secretariat work diligently to support victims, civil society organizations, national human rights institutions, and states in the search for and location of disappeared persons.
They aim to eradicate, punish, and prevent this crime as well as to repair the harm suffered by victims.
The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance is the first legally binding human rights instrument that addresses enforced disappearances.
It outlines the obligations of state parties regarding this issue, as well as the fundamental rights of victims.
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A decade after the adoption of the convention, much work remains to be done to eradicate and prevent enforced disappearances worldwide.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has developed a Training Guide for reporting under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
This guide consists of two parts. Part I is a manual and Part II is a training package. Both parts complement each other and can be used together to create training courses on the convention.
They also serve as valuable resources for states, civil society organizations, National Human Rights Institutions, and other stakeholders seeking to better understand the convention.
