International Convention for the Protection
of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
A/RES/74/161
Recalling further that no exceptional circumstance whatsoever may be invoked
as a justification for enforced disappearance,
Recalling that no one shall be held in secret detention,
Deeply concerned, in particular, by the increase in enforced or involuntary
disappearances in various regions of the world, including arrest, detention and
abduction, when these are part of or amount to enforced disappearances, and by the
growing number of reports concerning harassment, ill-treatment and intimidation of
witnesses of disappearance or relatives of persons who have disappeared,
Recalling that the Convention sets out the right of victims to know the truth
regarding the circumstances of the enforced disappearance, the progress and results
of the investigation and the fate of the disappeared person, and sets forth State party
obligations to take appropriate measures in this regard,
Recalling also that the Convention defines the victim of enforced disappearance
as the disappeared person and any individual who has suffered harm as the direct
result of an enforced disappearance,
Acknowledging that the widespread or systematic practice of enforced
disappearance is recognized in the Convention as a crime against humanity, as defined
in applicable international law,
Stressing the importance of the work of the Working Group on Enforced or
Involuntary Disappearances,
Calling upon States that have not provided substantive replies concerning
claims of enforced disappearances in their countries to do so, and to give due
consideration to relevant recommendations concerning this issue made by the
Working Group in its reports,
Encouraging the Working Group, in accordance with its working methods, to
continue to provide the States concerned with relevant and detailed information
concerning allegations of enforced disappearances in order to facilitate a prompt and
substantive response to such communications without prejudice to the need for the
States concerned to cooperate with the Working Group,
Recalling the high-level meeting of the General Assembly held on 17 February
2017 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention, which
provided an opportunity to review the positive impact of the Convention and to
discuss ways and best practices to prevent enforced disappearances and to combat
impunity by, inter alia, promoting the universal ratification of the Convention,
Recalling with appreciation the launch by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights of an international campaign for the universal
ratification of the Convention,
Acknowledging the valuable work of the International Committee of the Red
Cross in promoting compliance with international humanitarian l aw in this field,
1.
Recognizes the importance of the International Convention for the
Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, 2 the ratification and the
implementation of which is a significant contribution to ending impunity and to
promoting and protecting all human rights for all;
2.
Welcomes the fact that 98 States have signed the Convention and 62 have
ratified or acceded to it, and calls upon States that have not yet done so to consider
signing, ratifying or acceding to the Convention as a matter of priority, as well as to
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