The resolution entitled “Missing persons”, contained in document A/C.3/81/L.24 and initiated by the Republic of Azerbaijan, was adopted by consensus at the 41st plenary meeting of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Issues) of the United Nations General Assembly during its ongoing 81st session. The resolution was co-sponsored by a cross-regional group of 63 Member States.
According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this long-standing initiative of Azerbaijan, first introduced at the 57th session of the General Assembly in 2002, aims to reaffirm obligations under international humanitarian law, complemented, where appropriate, by international human rights law, concerning missing persons.
This year’s resolution reiterated its call upon States parties to armed conflict to take all appropriate measures to prevent persons from going missing and to account for those reported missing as a result of armed conflict. It further recalled that cases of missing persons involve conduct constituting criminal offences and stressed the importance of ending impunity for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law with respect to missing persons.
The resolution urged States to cooperate in resolving cases of missing persons, including through the identification, mapping and preservation of burial sites. For the first time, the resolution explicitly referred in this context to individual, collective and mass graves. It also introduced new provisions emphasizing the importance of addressing the issue of missing persons in the context of peace and peacebuilding processes and encouraging its integration into such processes, with a view to clarifying their fate and whereabouts.
The resolution also expressed concern that landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices impede efforts to determine the whereabouts of missing persons. It further requested the Secretary-General to submit a comprehensive report on its implementation to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.
In addition, the resolution requested the convening of a high-level informal meeting of the General Assembly, with the participation of relevant United Nations entities and observers of the Assembly, featuring a briefing by the Secretary-General followed by an interactive dialogue.
The consensus adoption of the resolution on “Missing persons” sends a strong signal of the international community’s shared commitment to addressing this pressing humanitarian issue. It underscores the collective determination to prevent persons from going missing in connection with armed conflict, clarify the fate and whereabouts of those who remain unaccounted for, and translate international commitments into concrete measures to alleviate the suffering of their families.