Remarks by the President of the UN General Assembly
H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang
Briefing on Missing Persons
2 April 2025,
[As Delivered]
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning.
The General Assembly’s first biennial meeting on missing persons presents an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and accountability in addressing this grave global concern.
The plight of missing persons affects individuals, families and communities, across all the regions of the planet.
It leaves behind pain, uncertainty, and profound human suffering.
The increasing number of missing persons due to armed conflict, human rights violations, and humanitarian crises demands that we take decisive steps to lessen the hardship and distress.
For 20 years, the General Assembly has played an important role in addressing the issue of missing persons in connection with armed conflict, including through its biennial resolutions.
These efforts are guided by the Charter of the United Nations, as well as international humanitarian and human rights laws.
Finding solutions to the issue of missing persons requires a multifaceted and holistic approach.
One that ranges from prevention to the tracing, location, identification and return of missing persons.
One that ensures the forensic recovery and identification of remains.
And one that includes investigations and prosecutions of related offenses, with a view to ensuring full accountability.
Moreover, it is crucial to address the legal situation of missing persons and the needs of their families.
In these efforts, particular attention must be paid to the needs of women, youth, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
This is especially important in such areas as social welfare, psychological and psychosocial support, financial matters, family law and property rights.
We know that armed conflict is a main factor behind the dramatic increase in missing persons.
Avoiding armed conflict is crucial.
I commend the accession of Member States to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
We need strengthened actions to protect civilians in armed conflicts.
Last year, the International Committee of the Red Cross registered 40,000 cases of missing persons – more than in any other year in the last two decades.
I urge Member States that have not yet done so to consider signing, ratifying or acceding to the International Convention as a matter of priority.
I call on Member States to strengthen their legal frameworks to prevent disappearances, determine the fate of the missing persons, manage information, and support victims’ families.
These efforts must be undertaken in line with international human rights and humanitarian law.
And with a view to ensuring full accountability, fostering cooperation and delivering justice.
This was the message I delivered in January, during my signature event on “Preserving human dignity in armed conflict”.
Excellencies,
We must bear in mind that addressing the crisis of missing persons is not just a humanitarian imperative—it is our collective moral duty.
The promotion of truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence are all key components of accountability, and therefore, our collective responsibility.
Together, we must ensure that no missing person remains a number.
We have a moral responsibility to find and return every missing person.
With determination and solidarity, we must transform grief into justice, and uncertainty into hope.
I thank you.
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Media Contacts
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