Cases of missing persons around the globe discussed at ICMP’s Conference

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31 October 2013: A conference hosted by the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) started yesterday in the City of The Hague at the Peace Palace. It is the first conference to address the issue of missing persons, regardless of whether they are missing from war, human rights violations, disasters, human trafficking, drug related violence, migration or other causes.

The first panel was dedicated to the issue of persons missing from conflicts and human rights abuses around the globe and was opened by the President of the International Center for Transitional Justice Mr. David Tolbert. Professor Eric Stover from the University of California spoke about enhancing international community efforts to build national capacity to address the issue of persons missing from conflict and human rights abuses. H.E. Mr. Mohammad Shyaa Al-Sudani, Minister of Human Rights of Iraq, and the Minister of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs of Iraq H.E. Mr. Aram Ahmed Mohammed discussed the difficulties in the creation of political momentum to account for missing persons. The challenges in prosecuting perpetrators in missing persons cases were presented by Mr. Manoj Sachdeva and Ms. Fiona McKay of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The former Scottish First Minister Rt. Hon. Lord Jack McConnell reflected on whether accounting for the missing deter or prevent future conflict or human rights abuses. H.E. Mr. Ivo Josipović, President of the Republic of Croatia, provided an insight in the issue of missing persons in the Western Balkans, where over 70% of persons missing from the 1990s armed conflicts have been accounted for. Other notable presentations were given by Mr. Andreas Wigger of the ICRC and Ms. Jasminka Džumhur of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (UNWGEID).

The second panel was dedicated to persons missing from disasters and mass calamities and was opened by Interpol Secretary-General Mr. Ronald K. Noble who called for establishing a permanent structure for Disaster Victim Identification (DVI). The challenges of the South East Asia tsunami were presented by Professor Pongruk Sribanditmongkol from Thailand who led forensic teams there in 2004. The Scientific Director of the German Forensic Science Institute Dr. Ingo Bastisch tackled the challenges in coordinating response mechanisms to assist countries following a disaster. Mr. Frank de Paolo from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the NYC and Ms. Irene O’Sullivan from the Netherlands Forensic Institute reflected on how to ensure improved coordination between international and domestic actors to respond to future disasters.

ICMP Chairman, Ambassador Thomas Miller said during his speech: ”We cannot return to a time when missing persons were not found. We must recognize that the nature of war has changed and that missing persons from conflict share common attributes with human rights abuses, organized violence, including human trafficking and drug related violence. We need to acknowledge that missing persons cases must be properly investigated and that law based mechanisms and modern forensic methods should be employed, so that justice can be done and criminals held to account. We must ensure that families of the missing are actively engaged and that reliable and accurate information is provided to them and we must safeguard their privacy and their rights.”

H.E. Her Majesty Queen Noor said during her speech at the conference: “If this conference strengthens the resolve of States to address the issue of persons missing as a consequence of war – through rule-of-law institutions, processes and methods commensurate with modern standards of human rights and democratic society – it will make a contribution towards a more just future.”

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Jučer je u Palati mira u Hagu počela konferencija čiji je domaćin Međunarodna komisija za nestale osobe (ICMP). Radi se o prvoj konferenciji koja se bavi pitanjem nestalih bez obzira na uzrok nestanka: ratna zbivanja, kršenja ljudskih prava, nesreće, trgovina ljudima, nasilje u vezi sa zloupotrebom droga, migracije i drugi uzroci.

Prvi radni panel, posvećen pitanju nestalih u sukobima i usljed kršenja ljudskih prava otvorio je predsjednik Međunarodnog centra za tranzicijsku pravdu, gospodin David Tolbert. Profesor Eric Stover sa Univerziteta u Kaliforniji govorio je o jačanju napora međunarodne zajednice na uspostavljanju državnih kapaciteta za rješavanje pitanja nestalih u sukobima i usljed kršenja ljudskih prava. Irački ministar za ljudska prava Nj.E. Mohammad Shyaa Al-Sudani i irački ministar za pitanja šehida i Anfala Nj.E. Aram Ahmed Mohammed govorili su o poteškoćama u postizanju političke klime koja pogoduje rješavanju pitanja nestalih. O izazovima koji se pojavljuju u procesu podizanja optužnica protiv odgovornih za nestanke govorili su gospodin Manoj Sachdeva i gospođa Fiona McKay iz Međunarodnog krivičnog suda (MKS). Bivši škotski premijer lord Jack McConnell osvrnuo se na pitanje da li pronalaženje i identifikacija nestalih utiču na prevenciju budućih sukoba i kršenja ljudskih prava. Predsjednik Republike Hrvatske Nj.E. gospodin Ivo Josipović dao je uvid u problem nestalih osoba na Zapadnom Balkanu. Gospodin Andreas Wigger iz MKCK i gospođa Jasminka Džumhur iz UN-ove Radne grupe za prisilne i nedobrovoljne nestanke (UNWGEID) također su dali svoj doprinos u diskusiji.

Drugi panel je posvećen osobama koje su nestale u nesrećama i masovnim katastrofama, a uvodno predavanje održao je gospodin Ronald K. Noble, generalni sekretar Interpola. Tom prilikom je pozvao na uspostavljanje stalne strukture za identifikaciju žrtava nesreća. O problemima nakon cunamija koji je pogodio Jugoistočnu Aziju govorio je profesor Pongruk Sribanditmongkol iz Tajlanda. On je vodio forenzičke timove koji su došli na mjesto nesreće 2004. godine.

Direktor njemačkog Forenzičkog naučnog instituta Dr. Ingo Bastisch osvrnuo se na probleme u usklađivanju mehanizama za pomoć vladama nakon prirodnih nesreća. Frank de Paolo iz Ureda glavnog sudsko-medicinskog istražitelja New Yorka i Irene O’Sullivan iz Forenzičkog instituta Holandije govorili su o načinima kako se može poboljšati koordinacija između međunarodnih i domaćih snaga nakon budućih nesreća.

Predsjedavajući ICMP-a Thomas Miller je izjavio: “Ne možemo se vratiti u vrijeme kada nestale osobe nisu bile pronalažene. Moramo prepoznati da se priroda ratova promijenila i da nestanci u oružanim sukobima dijele istu sudbinu sa nestancima zbog kršenja ljudskih prava, organizovanog nasilja, trgovine ljudima i nasilja uzrokovanim prometom drogama. Moramo prepoznati da nestanci moraju biti pravilno istraživani i da u tu svrhu treba upregnuti mehanizme utemeljene na zakonima i na modernim forenzičkim metodama. Na taj način će pravda biti ostvarena a zločinci privedeni. Moramo se pobrinuti da porodice budu potpuno uključene, da su informacije koje im se pružaju tačne i da su njihovi prava i privatnost sačuvani.“

Nj.V. Kraljica Noor izjavila je: „Ako ova konferencija ojača odlučnost država da se pozabave problemom osoba nestalih u ratovima – putem pravnih institucija, te procesa i metoda u skladu sa savremenim standardima ljudskih prava i u skladu sa demokratskim društvima – to će biti doprinos jednoj pravednijog budućnosti“.

Generalni sekretar Interpola Ronald K. Noble je izjavio: „Kombinovano iskustvo Interpola i ICMP-a je impresivno. Ono je pokazalo da kada nesreće pogode neku zemlju moramo biti u stanju da odmah pošaljemo ekipu i moramo znati da iza sebe imamo dovoljne resurse da izvedemo identifikaciju žrtava (DVI) od početka do kraja“.[:ar][:es][:]