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Akbar Novruz

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The Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly has adopted by consensus an Azerbaijan-initiated resolution on missing persons, with 63 UN member states joining the initiative as co-sponsors.

According to Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, resolution A/C.3/81/L.24, entitled "Missing persons", was adopted on November 10 during the 41st plenary meeting of the General Assembly's Third Committee, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural affairs.

The resolution addresses the humanitarian consequences of armed conflicts, particularly the need to determine the fate of missing persons, protect burial sites and strengthen international cooperation in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law.

The initiative was first introduced by Azerbaijan during the 57th session of the UN General Assembly in 2002 and has subsequently been advanced through successive sessions.

The latest resolution reaffirms the obligations of states under international humanitarian law and, where applicable, international human rights law concerning missing persons.

It calls on parties to armed conflicts to take appropriate measures to prevent disappearances and establish the fate of individuals reported missing.

The document also highlights the importance of addressing impunity for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law connected with missing persons, including cases involving conduct that constitutes criminal offences.

Mass graves explicitly addressed for the first time

One of the notable developments in the latest resolution is its expanded attention to burial sites and the recovery of missing persons.

The document calls on states to cooperate in identifying, mapping and preserving burial locations as part of efforts to determine the fate of missing individuals.

For the first time, the resolution explicitly refers to individual, collective and mass graves, broadening the scope of international attention to the challenges associated with locating and identifying human remains following armed conflicts.

The resolution also introduces provisions addressing the relationship between missing persons and peacebuilding.

It encourages states and relevant stakeholders to incorporate efforts to clarify the fate of missing individuals into peace processes, recognising the humanitarian importance of resolving outstanding cases in post-conflict environments.

Another provision expresses concern about the obstacles posed by landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices to operations aimed at locating missing persons.

These hazards can complicate searches, restrict access to potentially contaminated areas and delay efforts to recover and identify human remains.

UN Secretary-General requested to report on implementation

The resolution also provides for additional consideration of the missing persons issue within the United Nations system.

It requests the UN Secretary-General to prepare a comprehensive report on implementation of the resolution for submission to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.

Furthermore, the document calls for a high-level informal meeting of the General Assembly involving relevant UN bodies and observers.

The proposed meeting would include a presentation by the Secretary-General, followed by an interactive dialogue on the humanitarian challenges associated with missing persons.

According to Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, the adoption of the resolution by consensus demonstrates the international community's shared commitment to addressing one of the enduring humanitarian consequences of armed conflict.

The support of 63 co-sponsoring countries from different geographical regions also reflects the broad international engagement surrounding the initiative.