Statement following the issuance of the Secretary-General’s report on “Implementation of the resolution on the establishment of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic”

The Secretary-General of the United Nations issued report number A/78/627, entitled  “Implementation of the Resolution Concerning the Establishment of the Institution Concerned with the Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic”. This report was requested in the UN Resolution 301/77 adopted on June 29, 2023. The resolution’s second paragraph decides the creation of an independent institution concerned with missing persons in the Syrian Arab Republic. It requested the Secretary-General to provide a report on the resolution’s implementation within 100 working days of its issuance.

During this period, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights continued concerted efforts with the “Truth and Justice Charter Group” and other victims and families associations in Syria, Europe, and Turkey. These efforts aimed to gather their perspectives on the terms of reference of the independent institution. These endeavours included extensive physical meetings, small group ones as well as virtual discussions.

Simultaneously, the Truth and Justice Charter associations, apart from participating in consultations and meetings convened by the OHCHR, attended several workshops aiming to refine several written documents that addressed various aspects of the institution’s terms of reference.

Within the same specified timeframe, the Truth and Justice Charter further developed a comprehensive and independent contribution, covering all aspects of the institution’s work. This contribution was shared with the OCHCR to aid in defining the mandate of the independent institution on missing persons in the Syrian Arab Republic from the standpoint of victims, survivors, and their families.

Today, the Truth and Justice Charter is publishing these comprehensive written submissions, making them accessible to readers and relevant actors after the UNGA has released the ToR final version deemed appropriate for the mandate, authority, scope, legal framework, methodologies, structure, composition, and collaboration of the independent institution with other relevant entities.

Today, within the Truth and Justice Charter, following the issuance of the UN Secretary-General’s report, we consider that we have taken an additional step forward in our progress in advocating for the cases of detainees, the forcibly disappeared, and the abducted, and in our struggle against forgetting, denial, and ignorance concerning tens of thousands who have been detained, disappeared, or perished for the freedom and dignity of Syrians in a flourishing, stable, and democratic Syria. We will persist in our responsibilities toward our beloved detainees and missing individuals, being their voice as long as their voices remain detained there.

To read the comprehensive and independent contribution: Click here