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Kyiv, 11 December 2025 – Marking International Human Rights Day, the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) brought together families of the missing, representatives of government institutions, and partner organizations at an event in Kyiv to take stock of progress made in 2025 and outline priorities for 2026.
As the number of persons missing due to Russia’s full-scale invasion continues to grow, sustained cooperation between state institutions, families, and international partners is essential. Yesterday’s event highlighted the shared responsibility to uphold human rights, ensure accountability, and support families in their search for truth and justice.
“In situations like the one facing Ukraine, States need scalable legal, technical, and operational capacity,” ICMP Europe Director Matthew Holliday said. “This includes high throughput DNA systems, surge staffing, rapid resource mobilization, and the legal ability to integrate international assistance and expertise when national capacity is exceeded.”
ICMP’s technical support to Ukrainian institutions was presented during the event, with particular emphasis on the examination of repatriated human remains. ICMP specialists and government representatives explained the steps involved in DNA analysis and stressed the importance of building and maintaining confidence in national forensic laboratories.
The gathering also highlighted ICMP’s broader engagement with families of the missing, civil society, and local communities. This includes outreach, public awareness, and long-term programs designed to support the organizational growth and advocacy skills of family associations.
At yesterday’s event, ICMP unveiled a contest for Ukrainian journalists. “Voices of the Missing” focuses on published articles about missing persons. Members of the jury, drawn from the country’s creative and cultural community, spoke about the contest’s significance and the power of storytelling in preserving memory and raising public understanding of the issue of missing persons.
The event was made possible through support from the Government of Canada, which is a major donor to ICMP’s Ukraine Program.
“Canada’s partnership with ICMP reflects our enduring commitment to human rights, the rule of law, and accountability,” said Chrystiane Roy, Deputy Head of Mission at the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv. “We believe that resolving the issue of missing persons is not only a humanitarian obligation but also a foundation for justice and lasting peace. Behind every missing person is a story of love and loss. Canada stands with the people of Ukraine searching for their relatives and supports efforts to secure their right to truth, justice, and reparations. We pay tribute to the families and civil society organizations whose courage and perseverance inspire us all.”
About ICMP
ICMP is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization with Headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. 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. ICMP also supports the work of other organizations in their efforts, encourages public participation in its activities, and promotes the development of appropriate forms of commemoration and commemoration of the missing.
