Resolution A/C.3/81/L.24, titled “Missing persons” and initiated by Azerbaijan during the 81st session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, was adopted by consensus at the 41st plenary meeting of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Issues).
“Operative Information Center-OMM” reports that Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this.
The resolution, adopted on November 10, was co-sponsored by 63 member states representing various regions.
Azerbaijan first introduced the initiative at the General Assembly’s 57th session in 2002 and has pursued it for many years. It reaffirms obligations under international humanitarian law and, where applicable, international human rights law concerning missing persons.
The resolution calls on states that are parties to armed conflicts to take all appropriate measures to prevent people from going missing and to determine the fate of missing persons.
It also recalls that cases involving missing persons may be connected to acts constituting crimes and stresses the importance of ending impunity for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law related to missing persons.
The resolution calls on states to cooperate in addressing issues concerning missing persons, including by identifying, mapping and preserving burial sites. For the first time in this context, it explicitly refers to individual, collective and mass graves.
It also includes new provisions underscoring the importance of addressing missing persons in the context of peace and peacebuilding processes and encouraging the integration of this issue into those processes to help determine their fate.
The resolution expresses concern that mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices hinder efforts to locate missing persons.
In addition, it requests that the UN secretary-general submit a comprehensive report on the implementation of the resolution to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.
The resolution requests the convening of a high-level informal meeting of the General Assembly, with the participation of relevant UN bodies and General Assembly observers. It also calls for the UN secretary-general to present a report at the meeting, followed by an interactive dialogue.
The consensus adoption of the resolution titled “Missing persons” sends a strong message about the international community’s shared commitment to addressing this pressing humanitarian issue.
