The Baku Declaration on Missing Persons Published as an Official UN Document

The memorandum and the attached declaration, submitted by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Nations (UN), have been officially published as documents of the UN General Assembly and Security Council.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to Report, according to the document, on December 8, 2025, the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN, Tofig Musayev, sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General presenting the declaration adopted at the international conference in Baku dedicated to uniting efforts and expanding cooperation to address the issue of missing persons.

The conference was held from October 9 to 11, 2025, in Baku and brought together representatives from various countries and international organizations. The event was devoted to discussing the problem of missing persons in the context of international humanitarian law and human rights.

The declaration expresses serious concern about the increasing number of persons missing as a result of armed conflicts and confirms the right of families to know the fate of their loved ones. The document emphasizes the importance of states respecting international humanitarian law and human rights.

Additionally, the parties call for taking all possible measures to prevent the disappearance of people during armed conflicts and to provide information about the fate of missing persons. Special attention is paid to the fact that mines and unexploded ordnance can become obstacles to the identification of the missing.

The document proposes to strengthen cooperation between states, international and non-governmental organizations to address the problem of missing persons, to exchange best practices, and to use forensic examinations and new technologies.

The letter and the attached declaration were distributed as official documents of the UN General Assembly on the topics: "Prevention of Armed Conflicts," "Promotion and Protection of Human Rights," "Ending Racism and Discrimination," and "Rule of Law."