The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance Celebrates 20th Ratification
Almost four years after its adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance has finally reached the 20th ratification which was necessary for its entry into force. Iraq was the 20th country that ratified this international treaty.
“This is an historic date”, says Mrs. Mary Aileen D. Bacalso Secretary General of the Asian Federation Against Disappearances (AFAD) and focal person of the ICAED, which gathers associations of families of the disappeared together with human rights NGOs.
“The Convention represents by itself an achievement of associations of relatives of disappeared people and NGOs from all over the world. Its adoption was first requested by families of victims of disappeared people from Latin America, back in the eighties. It took more than 30 years for the international community to adopt this legal tool, which fills an immense and intolerable gap: the lack of an international treaty to prevent and suppress enforced disappearance. Contrary to what many people think, enforced disappearance is not a practice of the past nor is it limited to a few regions of the world. All continents have experienced or are experiencing this criminal practice. People are disappearing in many parts of the world. In such light, the Convention will be an effective tool for the international community in its struggle against this scourge”.
The Convention provides for the right not to be subjected to enforced disappearance as well as the right for the relatives of the disappeared persons to know the truth. The Convention contains several provisions concerning prevention, investigation and sanctioning of this crime, as well as the rights of victims and their relatives and the wrongful removal of children born during their captivity.
The Convention further sets forth the obligation of international cooperation, both in the suppression of the practice and in dealing with humanitarian aspects related to the crime. The Convention establishes a Committee on Enforced Disappearances, which will be charged with important and innovative functions of monitoring and protection at the international level.
The International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED) gathers organisations of families of disappeared and NGO’s that work in a non-violent manner against the practice of enforced disappearances at the local, national and international level. The principal objective of ICAED is an early ratification and effective implementation of the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances.
“The entry into force of the Convention is a crucial step forward”, added Mrs. Bacalso “but much remains to be done.
The ICAED calls all States that already ratified the Convention and have not yet done so to recognize also the competence of the new Committee on Enforced Disappearance to receive and consider individual complaints.
Further, the ICAED calls those States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Convention without delay and as a priority matter, refraining from reservations that may result incompatible with the object and purposes of the Convention.
Moreover, the ICAED calls on all States to enact without delay the domestic legislation which is necessary to fully implement the Convention.
Finally, the ICAED looks forward to seeing the prompt establishment of the Committee on Enforced Disappearance, which can surely play a fundamental role in the enforcement of the Convention and, ultimately in the fight against impunity and in the prevention of enforced disappearance”.
The International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED) gathers organisations of families of disappeared
and NGO’s that work in a non-violent manner against the practice of enforced disappearances at the local, national
and international level.
Aim for human rights – Netherlands,
Amnesty International,
Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD),
Civil Initiative We Remember Foundation – Belarus,
Collectif des Familles de Disparus en Algerie (CFDA) – Algeria,
Euro-Med Federation Against Enforced Disappearances (FEMED),
Federation Internationale des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH),
Federation Internationale de l’ACAT (FIACAT),
Federacion Latinoamericana de Asociaciones de Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos (FEDEFAM)
Human Rights Watch (HRW),
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Russian Justice Initiative – Russia,
Liga Guatemalteca de Higiene Mental – Guatemala,
TRIAL (Track Impunity Always – association suisse
contre l’impunite) – Switzerland,
Breaking the Walls of Silence – Namibia,
AFAPREDESA – Western Sahara,
Asociacion Derechos Humanos Economicos,
Sociales y Culturales en Guatemala (DESCGUA) – Guatemala,
Disarmament and Non-Violence – Georgia,
Lawyers for Human Rights – South Africa,
National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) – Namibia,
Colegio de Abogados – Peru,
Association of Family Members of Disappeared – Sri Lanka,
Asociacion Pro-Busqueda de Ninas y Ninos Desaparecidos de El Salvador – El Salvador,
Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos – Peru, Asociacion de Detenidos-Desaparecidos,
Ejecuciones Extrajudiciales y Torturados de Huancayo-Junin-Peru – Peru,
Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND) – Philippines,
Organisation Marocaine Des Droits HUMAINS – Morocco,
Al-Ata’a for Human Rights Support – Iraq,
Qatari Panituri – Peru,
Institute for Community Policing – Nigeria,
Association de Parents et Amis de Disparus au Maroc – Morocco,
Comite de coordination des Familiies des Disparus au Maroc, Morocco,
Asociacion por la recuperacion de la memoria histoica de Cataluna RMHC – Spain,
Truth Now – Cyprus, Comision de Derechos Humanos – Peru,
Social Justice for Equality – Nepal,
Centro de documentacion en derechos humanos “Segundo Montes Mozo S.J” – Ecuador,
Zimbabwe Peace Project – Zimbabwe