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Pristina, 22 January 2025 – The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has donated specialized laboratory equipment to the Kosovo Forensic Agency (KFA), bolstering its ability to identify missing persons.
This equipment will enable the KFA to process bone samples, stabilize biological materials during analysis, and store sensitive DNA samples under optimal conditions. These enhancements will significantly improve the work of KFA in line with the most modern standards.
Samira Krehic, Deputy Head of ICMP’s Western Balkans Program, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “By equipping KFA with this important equipment, ICMP is empowering local institutions to address the issue of missing persons. This donation underscores our firm commitment to supporting authorities in fulfilling their legal obligations to account for all missing persons”.
Jonas Westerlund, Swedish Ambassador to Pristina said: “Sweden remains deeply committed to the belief that the ongoing responsibility for peace and justice, particularly in the wake of conflict, compels us to address the suffering caused by the Kosovo war. Supporting the identification of missing persons from the 1998–2000 conflict is not merely a duty but a moral imperative for all of us. Sweden remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring that the missing persons are never forgotten and will continue to support Kosovo in this vital endeavor until the last missing person is identified”.
Antonello De Riu, Ambassador of Italy to Kosovo said: “The Italian Government has actively supported Kosovo in various areas, starting from the participation as a key-provider in the NATO-led KFOR mission since 1999, assisting the UCCK’s cardiac surgery department, and promoting local community growth and tourism governance. Today’s donation of equipment, in partnership with Sweden and through ICMP, is a vital step in assisting the Forensic Agency with missing persons cases by streamlining processes and improving DNA capabilities. We are also proud to contribute to upholding families’ “right to know” under international humanitarian and human rights law, aiding in the recovery and identification of remains of missing family members”.
Director of KFA Ilir Kukaj said: “The equipment donated today from the ICMP for the DNA analysis is the latest technology in the field and it will positively impact our capacities in the field of criminal investigation and forensic expertise in line with international standards ISO1705-2017”
The donation of this equipment is part of ICMP’s ongoing efforts to build domestic capabilities and to promote collaboration among governments in the region. Over the last decades, with ICMP’s support and the active involvement of families of the missing, authorities in the Western Balkans have successfully accounted for more than 75 percent of the approximately 40,000 individuals who disappeared during the conflicts of the 1990s—setting a global benchmark in the field of missing persons identification.
Since the establishment of the Kosovo Government Commission on Missing Persons in 2006, ICMP is assisting the authorities in meeting their obligations under local and international law to account for all missing persons, regardless of their religious or national background. ICMP remains dedicated to upholding the rights of surviving families, ensuring they receive justice, truth, and reparations.
About ICMP
ICMP is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands. Its mandate is to secure the cooperation of governments and others in locating missing persons from conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, irregular migration, and other causes, and to assist them in doing so.
