UN adopts Azerbaijan-initiated resolution on missing persons by consensus

The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus the resolution "Missing Persons" initiated by Azerbaijan.

As reported by BAKU.WS, this was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Azerbaijan.

The document numbered A/C.3/81/L.24 was adopted on November 10 at the 41st plenary meeting of the Third Committee on Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Issues during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The resolution was co-sponsored by 63 member states representing various regions of the world.

Azerbaijan first put forward this initiative in 2002, during the 57th session of the UN General Assembly, and has continued to promote it over many years.

The resolution reaffirms the obligations under international humanitarian law regarding missing persons, which are supplemented where appropriate by norms of international human rights law.

The document calls on states that are parties to armed conflicts to take all necessary measures to prevent the disappearance of people and to determine the fate of missing persons.

The resolution also notes that cases of disappearance of people may be linked to acts constituting criminal offenses. It emphasizes the need to end impunity for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights with regard to missing persons.

States are called upon to cooperate in addressing issues related to missing persons, including through the identification, mapping and preservation of burial sites. In this context, the resolution for the first time contains a direct reference to individual, collective and mass graves.

The document also includes new provisions emphasizing the importance of addressing the issue of missing persons within peace and peacebuilding processes. To determine their fate, it is proposed to integrate this issue into relevant processes.

In addition, the resolution expresses concern that mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices hinder efforts to determine the whereabouts of missing persons.

The UN Secretary-General is invited to submit a comprehensive report on the implementation of the resolution to the UN Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.

The document also provides for convening an informal high-level meeting of the General Assembly with the participation of relevant UN bodies and observers at the General Assembly. At the meeting, it is proposed to hear the report of the UN Secretary-General, followed by an interactive dialogue.

"The adoption by consensus of the resolution 'Missing Persons' is a compelling testament to the shared commitment of the international community to addressing this pressing humanitarian issue," the MFA of Azerbaijan emphasized.