An international conference dedicated to the issue of missing persons is currently underway in Baku. The event is organized through a partnership between the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the conference is themed "Modern approaches and strengthening cooperation in solving the issue of missing persons." The discussions aim to foster international dialogue and share best practices in identifying and accounting for individuals who have gone missing during conflicts.
The conference is attended by high-ranking officials and experts, including Gazanfar Ahmadov, Secretary of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Citizens and head of the Working Group; Lieutenant General Sharafatli Hasanov, Deputy Chief of the State Security Service (SSS); Kathryne Bomberger, Director-General of the ICMP; Elnur Mammadov, Deputy Foreign Minister and member of the State Commission; Adalat Hasanov, Director of the Forensic Medical Examination and Pathological Anatomy Union of the Ministry of Health; and Major General Rufat Aliyev, Chief of the Main Military Medical Department of the SSS, alongside various members of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly).
The issue of missing persons remains a significant humanitarian challenge for Azerbaijan, particularly in the aftermath of the decades-long conflict in the Garabagh region. Thousands of Azerbaijani citizens remain missing, and the government continues to prioritize the search for their remains and the identification of mass graves as part of its post-conflict reconstruction and justice efforts.
