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Sarajevo, 9 December 2024 – To mark International Human Rights Day, the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), together with the Missing Persons Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has presented the online version of the Regional Database of Active Missing Persons Cases from the Armed Conflicts in the Former Yugoslavia (the Regional Database) and its functionalities to families of missing persons and public in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Similar event will be organized in Croatia, Serbia and Kosovo with relevant domestic institutions.
The public version of this unique and interactive database provides up-to-date records that are now accessible to the public. It allows families of missing persons, media, researchers and the public access to comprehensive, transparent and verified data regarding missing persons in the region all in one place.
As part of the Berlin Process, ICMP and the Missing Persons Group (MPG), which comprises domestic institutions responsible for missing persons issues, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia, created this database.
Creating the database was a long and meticulous process. At the end of the conflict in the Former Yugoslavia, more than 40,000 persons were recorded as missing. Members of the MPG, with ICMP’s assistance, created official records on missing persons comprising direct reports by relatives of the missing or from cases documented by national institutions and NGOs or international organizations involved in data collection.
However, the complexities of the conflicts presented significant challenges in maintaining accurate records. Many individuals went missing in territories other than their place of residence, and families of the missing were often displaced across borders, resulting in reports being filed in multiple countries. Additionally, varying details were sometimes provided to different authorities. To address these challenges and improve investigations, it was essential to consolidate, harmonize, and verify records across borders. The Regional Database consolidates records of missing persons from the conflicts of the 1990s, upholding ICMP’s mission to protect the rights of families and to support governments in accounting for the missing. By unifying data from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia, the database addresses challenges such as cross-border disappearances and data inconsistencies.
The Database exemplifies how post-conflict societies can unite in the pursuit of a common goal, ensuring that the issue of missing persons remains a human rights priority and is not politicized to undermine peace and stability.
The development of the Database was financially supported by the United Kingdom Government and the Federal Government of Germany.
Samira Krehić, Deputy Head of the Western Balkans Program at ICMP, emphasized that, “The Regional Database is a crucial tool in the pursuit of truth and justice. Its transparency and accessibility empower families to participate actively in the search for their loved ones and offers credible and verified information about active cases of missing persons in the region.”
James Hamilton Harding, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Sarajevo, said, “The UK Government has for many years supported the efforts of ICMP and local institutions to determine the fate of around 11,000 still missing persons in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Resolving the issue of missing persons is a matter of human rights, for families who have the right to know what has happened to their loved ones, as well as a matter of closure for society as a whole. Today, we talk about the importance of the Regional Database on missing persons: the Database exemplifies how post-conflict societies can unite in the pursuit of a common goal, ensuring that the issue of missing persons remains a human rights priority. Establishing the truth about the missing is crucial for peace and stability.”
Saliha Đuderija, Chairperson of the Board of Directors at the Missing Persons Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said, “The regional base enhances trust among institutions in the region and is an excellent basis for overcoming challenges in the process of accounting for the missing. “
Since its establishment, ICMP has played a crucial role in helping the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to locate and identify more than 75 percent of the 31,000 individuals reported missing from the conflicts. Through forensic expertise, data consolidation, and continuous engagement with families, ICMP has set global standards for addressing missing persons cases.
To access the Database please follow the link
More information about the work of the Missing Persons Group is available in this booklet.
About the Database:
The joint Database of Active Missing Persons Cases from the Armed Conflicts in the Former Yugoslavia was created in January 2018. ICMP developed customized database software that was populated with data provided by the domestic institutions resulting in the creation of the Regional Database. Since its inception, the Database has been a critical tool for MPG members, enabling daily exchanges of information, harmonization of records, and closure of cases. To ensure transparency, all updates are reflected in real time, and a notification system alerts users to changes made by other participants.
In November 2022, a public version of the Database was launched to engage families of the missing actively. This version allows families to verify existing records and contribute new information to domestic institutions leading the process of accounting for missing persons.
The public Database is searchable by first name, father’s first name, surname, and the reported territory of disappearance. Users can provide feedback on individual cases or report a missing person not yet listed in the Database.
The Database serves as a vital resource and tool for continuous information exchange, verification, and updates among domestic institutions, members of the MPG. Its public version empowers families to contribute to the accuracy of records and fosters regional cooperation in addressing the legacy of the 1990s conflicts.
About ICMP
ICMP is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization with Headquarters in The Hague. Its mandate is to secure the cooperation of governments and others in locating and identifying missing persons from conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, irregular migration and other causes and to assist them in doing so.
