Press Release
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| UNITED NATIONS Press Release |
xxxxxxxxxx | WORKING GROUP ON ENFORCED OR INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCES CONCLUDES EIGHTY-FIRST SESSION | xxxxxxxxxx |
| HR/07/44 22 March 2007 The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances of the United Nations held the first of three meetings for 2007 from 15 to 21 March, at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva. The Working Group examined 19 newly reported cases under its urgent action procedure. The members of the Working Group expressed deep concern that the majority of new urgent action cases are regarding alleged disappearances in Sri Lanka. At this session, the Working Group also examined more than 380 cases from 25 countries, including Algeria, Argentina, Belarus, Cambodia, Colombia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Honduras, India, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. In relation to these cases, the Working Group reviewed replies from Governments, relatives of the disappeared and non-governmental organizations. The Working Group notes that following the 81st session, there are no more active cases from Cambodia, Nigeria and Yemen. Meetings were held with several non-governmental organizations, including FEDEFAM, the Centre for Policy Alternatives, the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism, and the Civil Monitoring Commission, as well as with the Governments of Colombia, Japan and Sri Lanka. The Working Group welcomed the information received from the Government of the Philippines regarding the progress made in implementing recommendations from the Working Group's country visit in 1991. On 21 March 2007, the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group, Mr. Santiago Corcuera, presented the Working Group's annual report (A/HRC/4/41), as well as the report on the Working Group's country visit to Guatemala (A/HRC/4/41/Add.1) and the preliminary notes on the country visits to Honduras (A/HRC/4/41/Add.2) and El Salvador (A/HRC/4/41/Add.3), to the Human Rights Council at its fourth session. The Chairperson, on behalf of the Working Group, stated that, in 2006, the Working Group had received 535 newly reported cases of disappearances and had sent urgent actions in 132 cases that allegedly occurred within the three months preceding the receipt of those cases by the Working Group. The Working Group also clarified 1,309 cases, conducted one country visit, and responded in a timely manner to sources and Governments. The Chairperson highlighted for the Council four major areas of concern, as outlined in the annual report. The main concerns for the Working Group are: cases of disappearances that frequently remain unresolved in numerous post-conflict situations or democratic transitions following a period of widespread human rights violations; the enactment of amnesty laws and other measures that lead to impunity and may perpetuate human rights violations; the lack of well-organized or well-funded non-governmental organizations that can work effectively on disappearances; and increasing numbers of reports concerning the disappearances of human rights defenders and acts of intimidation, prosecution or reprisal against defenders, witnesses, legal counsel and relatives of disappeared persons seeking to discover the fate or whereabouts of those who have disappeared. The Working Group was created by the UN Commission on Human Rights in 1980 to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of disappeared relatives. The Working Group 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 is clearly established. The Working Group continues to address cases of disappearances until they are resolved. The Working Group is made up of five independent experts from all regions of the world. The Chairman-Rapporteur is Santiago Corcuera, and the other Expert Members are J. Bayo Adekanye, Darko Gottlicher, Saied Rajaie Khorasani and Stephen J. Toope. For more information on the Working Group, please refer to the website: http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/disappear/index.htm. __________ For use of the information media; not an official record |