Question of enforced or involuntary disappearances.

1988/34. Question of enforced or involuntary disappearances

The Commission on Human Rights, Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 33/173 of 20 December 1978, in which the Assembly requested The Commission on Human Rights to consider the question of disappeared persons with a view to making appropriate recommendations, and all other United Nations resolutions concerning missing or disappeared persons, Convinced of the need to continue the implementation of the provisions of General Assembly resolution 33/173 and of the other United Nations resolutions on the question of enforced or involuntary disappearances, Recalling its resolution 20 (XXXVI) of 29 February 1980, by which it decided to establish a working group consisting of five of its members, to serve as experts in their individual capacity, to examine questions relevant to enforced or involuntary disappearances, and its resolutions 1986/55 of 13 March 1986 and 1987/27 of 10 March 1987, Recalling General Assembly resolution 42/142 of 7 December 1987, in which the Assembly welcomed the decision of The Commission on Human Rights to extend for two years, on an experimental basis, the term of the mandate of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, while maintaining the principle of annual reporting by the Group, Profoundly concerned at the fact that the practice of enforced or involuntary disappearances continues in various regions of the world, and at the fact that in some cases the families of disappeared persons have suffered intimidation and ill-treatment, Having Considered the report of the Working Group (E/CN.4/1988/19 and Add.1),

1. Expresses its appreciation to the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances for the way in which it has done its work, and thanks the Working Group for submitting to the Commission at its forty-fourth session a report in accordance with its resolution 1987/27;

2. Takes note of the report of the Working Group and thanks it for formulating its methods of work explicitly and in detailed fashion and for recalling the humanitarian spirit underlying its mandate;

3. Decides to extend for two years the Working Group's mandate, as laid down in Commission on Human Rights resolution 20 (XXXVI), in accordance with the recommendations of the Working Group, so as to enable the Group to take into consideration all information communicated to it on the cases brought to its attention, while maintaining its annual reporting cycle;

4. Requests the Working Group to report to the Commission, at its forty-fifth and forty-sixth sessions, on its work, and reminds it of the obligation to discharge its mandate with discretion;

5. Requests the Working Group, in its efforts to help eliminate the practice of enforced or involuntary disappearances, to present to the Commission all appropriate information it deems necessary and all concrete suggestions and recommendations regarding the fulfilment of its tasks;

6. Reminds the Working Group of the need to observe, in its humanitarian task, United Nations standards and practices regarding the receipt of communications, their consideration, their transmittal to Governments and their evaluation;

7. Urges the Governments concerned, particularly those which have not yet responded to communications transmitted to them by the Working Group, to co-operate with and assist the Working Group so that it may carry out its mandate effectively, and in particular to answer expeditiously requests for information addressed to them by the Working Group;

8. Urges the Governments concerned to take steps to protect the families of disappeared persons against any intimidation or ill-treatment to which they might be subject;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to consider ways and means of better publicizing the objectives, procedures and methods of the Working Group, more particularly within the framework of the information activities of the Centre for Human Rights;

10. Encourages the Governments concerned to give serious consideration to inviting the Working Group to visit their country, so as to enable the Group to fulfil its mandate even more effectively;

11. Expresses its profound thanks to the Governments which have invited the Working Group;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the Working Group receives all necessary assistance, in particular the staff and resources it requires to perform its functions, especially in carrying out missions or holding sessions in countries which would be prepared to receive them.

13. Decides to consider this question at its forty-fifth session under the sub-item of the agenda entitled "Question of enforced or involuntary disappearances".

52nd meeting
8 March 1988
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. X.]
Disclaimer:

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.