This August 30th is International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances

Santo Domingo. – The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is a day that is commemorated on August 30 since 2011, it was established in 2010 by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Proclamation

The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances was proclaimed on December 21, 2010, to raise awareness about the use of enforced disappearance as a strategy to instill terror in citizens. According to the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance,[1] proclaimed by the General Assembly on December 18, 1992, enforced disappearances occur when persons are arrested, detained or transferred against their will by governmental agents or organized groups supported by the government, and then they refuse to reveal their whereabouts or to acknowledge that they are deprived of liberty, leaving them outside the protection of the law. This phenomenon generates a feeling of insecurity that affects not only the direct relatives of the disappeared, but also the community and society in general. The practice of forced disappearance has become a global problem, not limited to a specific region, and has been used in situations of internal conflict as a method of political repression. The concern about this practice includes the harassment of human rights defenders, victims’ families, witnesses, and lawyers, as well as the use of the fight against terrorism as an excuse to violate obligations and persistent impunity. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance establish that this practice, when part of a widespread or systematic attack against any civilian population, constitutes a crime against humanity that does not prescribe. This grants the families of the victims the right to obtain reparations and to know the truth about the disappearance of their loved ones.

Celebration

This day is celebrated annually on August 30th. The date was chosen by the UNGA in recognition of the work of various human rights organizations that already commemorated this issue in different parts of the world. The resolution also expressed its concern about the increase in enforced disappearances and the harassment of witnesses and relatives of the disappeared, and welcomed the approval of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons against Enforced Disappearance. This day began to be observed internationally in 2011.