COMMITTEE ON ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES

A delegation of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances will carry out a country visit to Mexico from 15 to 27 November 2021, during which it will meet with competent State party authorities, victims, civil society organisations, collectives and other relevant actors. More information as to the way to contribute to the visit is available at the following link  

22^nd session : The 22^nd session of the Committee is scheduled from 28 March to 8 April 2022. The provisional agenda includes the following activities (subject to change depending on the COVID-19 pandemic):

• List of Issues: Cambodia, The Gambia and Nigeria
• Examination of initial reports under article 29(1) of the Convention: Greece and Niger

Details on how to contribute to the work of the Committee and deadlines for written contributions are available in "22nd session – Information note for Victims, Civil Society Organizations and NHRIs"

21^st session : The 21^st session of the Committee took place from 13-24 September 2021. During the session, the Committee held interactive dialogues on the initial report of Brazil and Panama, and on the additional information submitted by France and Spain and adopted a list of issues for Costa Rica, Mali and Mauritania

In compliance with Rules 15, 16 and Section X of its Rules of Procedure, the Committee elected by consensus Ms. Carmen Rosa Villa Quintana as new Chair of the Committee; Ms. Milica Kolakovic, Ms. Barbara Lochbihler and Mr. Mohammed Ayat as Vice Chairs, and Mr. Juan Pablo Albán Alencastro as Rapporteur of the Committee. The new Bureau will hold office for a term of two years.

On 13 September 2021, the Committee opened its 21st session. On this occasion, it launched a publication on its work over its first 10 years, and it listened to the testimony and call for ratification of the Convention by a victim from Pakistan.

The Committee welcomes the official acceptance by Mexico today, on the International Day for the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, of the visit it has requested since 2013.

International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances 2021

• In their joint statement, the CED and the WGEID recall the urgency to address the economic, social and cultural rights of victims of enforced disappearances. Also see on Tweeter
  
• In his declaration, the UN Secretary General highlights that States must fulfil their obligations to prevent enforced disappearance, to search for the victims, and to investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators, and reiterates his call to all States to ratify the Convention for the Protection of all Persons against Enforced Disappearance and to work with the CED and the WGEID.  
• The CED, the IACHR & the WGEIDjoin to recall the need for State authorities in charge of the search for disappeared persons and the investigation of their disappearance to systematically coordinate their work. Also see on Tweeter
  

To date, 63 of the 193 UN Member States have ratified the Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The most recent accessions or ratifications of the Convention are by Oman (2020), Norway (2019), Fiji (2019) and Dominica (2019).

CED ratification, including all declarations and reservations

Ratification status map