Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

The WGEID Procedures

Urgent Appeals

Cases that occurred within the three months preceding receipt of the report by the Group are transmitted directly to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the country concerned by the most direct and rapid means. The Working Group provides the source with a copy of the summary of each urgent action, thus helping it to enter into communication with the authorities on the case concerned.

Normal cases

Reported cases of disappearances are placed before the Working Group for detailed examination during its sessions. Those which fulfil the requirements outlined above are transmitted, upon the Group’s specific authorization, to the Governments concerned with the request that they carry out investigations and inform the Group about the results. These cases are communicated by letter from the Group’s Chairman to the Government concerned through the Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

General Allegations

The Working Group regularly transmits to the Governments concerned a summary of allegations received from relatives of missing persons and non-governmental organizations with regard to obstacles encountered in the implementation of the Declaration in their respective countries, inviting them to comment thereon if they so wish.

Clarification of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person

The basic mandate of the Working Group is to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of their disappeared relatives, who are placed outside the protection of the law. To this end, the Working Group endeavours to establish a channel of communication between the families and the Governments concerned, with a view to ensuring that sufficiently documented and clearly identified individual cases which families, directly or indirectly, have brought to the Group’s attention are investigated with a view to clarifying the whereabouts of the disappeared persons. Clarification occurs when the whereabouts of the disappeared persons are clearly established as a result of investigations by the Government, inquiries by non‑governmental organizations, fact-finding missions by the Working Group or by human rights personnel from the United Nations or from any other international organization operating in the field, or by the search of the family, irrespective of whether the person is alive or dead.

Any reply of the Government containing detailed information on the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared person is transmitted to the source. If the source does not respond within six months of the date on which the Government’s reply was communicated to it, or if it contests the Government’s information on grounds which are considered unreasonable by the Working Group, the case is considered clarified and is accordingly listed under the heading “Cases clarified by the Government’s response” in the statistical summary of the annual report. If the source contests the Government’s information on reasonable grounds, the Government is so informed and invited to comment.

Prompt Intervention for reprisals

Cases of intimidation, persecution or reprisal against relatives of missing persons, witnesses to disappearances or their families, members of organizations of relatives and other non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders or individuals concerned with disappearances are transmitted to the pertinent Governments, with the appeal that they take steps to protect all the fundamental rights of the persons affected. Cases of that nature, which require prompt intervention, are transmitted directly to the Ministers for Foreign Affairs by the most direct and rapid means. To that end, the Working Group has authorized its Chairman to transmit such cases between sessions.