Damascus - New York: Europe and the Arabs
The Independent Foundation for Missing Persons in Syria affirmed its commitment to continuing to work with families, authorities, and partners on the ground to uncover the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria.
This came in a statement marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, which is commemorated annually on August 30, to remind people of the devastating impact of enforced disappearance on individuals, their families, and society as a whole. According to the UN Daily News Bulletin,
On this occasion, and as part of its commitment to supporting families' right to know the truth, the Independent Foundation explained that it is holding two workshops with families and partners in Germany and Lebanon to test its registration process.
The Independent Foundation explained that it developed this process to enable families of missing persons to register their loved ones, based on consultations with victims' groups and other civil society organizations.
These workshops are in preparation for the launch of the registration process on a larger scale and are being organized in cooperation with the Charter for Truth and Justice, the Caesar Families Association, Women Now for Development, and Families for Freedom. The Independent Foundation indicated that the feedback from these events will contribute to improving the registration process and identifying the necessary and appropriate support for families. The Independent Foundation is scheduled to launch the registration process in the coming months.
Dr. Carla Quintana, President of the Independent Foundation, emphasized that "the best way to commemorate the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is to work with and for families on the ground—as we do every day. We continue to work with families, authorities, and partners on the ground to uncover the truth about the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria."
Ms. Latifa Shaban, Coordinator of Families for Freedom in Lebanon, said: "Today, during the workshop and the collaboration on the registration process, we felt that practical and serious steps are being taken to uncover the fate of the disappeared and forcibly detained. We felt hopeful that together we can achieve the goal for which the Foundation was established. We are very optimistic about the opportunity to work together inside Syria, seeking to uncover the truth and search for the missing." The Independent Institution is a United Nations entity established by the General Assembly on 29 June 2023 in response to urgent appeals from family members of thousands of missing persons in Syria for action to determine their fate and whereabouts. The founding resolution of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons stipulates clarifying the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria and providing adequate support to the families of the missing.