About ICMP
People go missing as a result of armed conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, migration and other causes.
The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) is an intergovernmental organization tasked exclusively to work on the issue of missing persons.
ICMP works with governments, civil society organizations, justice institutions, international organizations and families throughout the world to address the issue of missing persons.
ICMP is actively engaged in fostering social and political advocacy and developing and providing technical expertise to locate and identify the missing persons.
Institutional Capacity-Building
ICMP works with governments to develop their institutional capacity to address the issue of missing persons efficiently and impartially.
Developing Legislation
ICMP helps governments to develop legislation to safeguard the rights of families of the missing and works with civil society organizations to empower them to advocate for their rights.
Assistance to Justice
ICMP assists the process of justice by ensuring that governments adhere to a rule-of-law-based approach to investigating disappearances and by providing evidence in criminal trials.
Advanced Forensics Assistance
ICMP directly assists governments with fieldwork. It has been involved in the excavation of more than 3,000 mass and clandestine gravesites and has spearheaded the application of advanced forensic techniques to locate and recover missing persons.
DNA Identification System
It operates one of the leading international human DNA testing facilities. To date, more than 20,000 missing persons from around the world have been identified using DNA with ICMP’s assistance.
Training and Education
ICMP also provides training and education programs to a wide range of individuals, including government authorities, prosecutors and judges, NGOs, families of the missing and forensic practitioners.
