France reaffirms its commitment to combating enforced disappearances and its solidarity with victims and their families

Paris, August 30 (KUNA) -- The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday that, on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, France reaffirms its historic commitment to combating enforced disappearances and expresses its full solidarity with the victims and their families. The ministry added that “enforced disappearance remains a reality in all regions of the world and has tragic consequences for entire communities,” noting that when such practices are widespread, they may constitute a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. It stated that enforced disappearance deprives relatives of missing persons of the ability to learn their fate and the truth about what happened, obstructs their access to justice, and constitutes an obstacle to reconciliation, the fight against impunity, and the return of peace. The statement referred to the French-Argentine initiative, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006 under the title International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which entered into force in 2010. It described the convention as “a decisive step in combating these practices by establishing an international legal definition through a binding treaty approach,” and noted that it currently has 78 state parties. It added, “We will mark the 20th anniversary of the Convention in December of this year, and we encourage all states to ratify or accede to it as an integral part of the international human rights law framework,” calling for its full and effective implementation. The statement praised the work of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, which ensures the implementation of the Convention, and the outstanding commitment of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in determining the fate of the disappeared. France expressed its welcome for the essential contribution of civil society organizations and human rights defenders engaged in combating enforced disappearances, “as they play a fundamental role in documenting facts related to such cases and supporting victims and their families.” (End) M.B. / S.A.M.