30 August 2025 – Germany and Lebanon  

The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is observed every year on 30 August as a reminder of the devastating impact of enforced disappearance on individuals, their families, and society. On this occasion and as part of its commitment to uphold families’ right to know the truth, the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria is holding two workshops with families and partners in Germany and Lebanon to test its registration process.  

The Independent Institution has developed a process for families of missing persons to register their loved ones, based on consultations with victims’ groups and other civil society organisations. The workshops are in preparation for a wider launch of the registration and are organized in collaboration with the Truth and Justice Charter, the Caesar Families Association, Women Now for Development, and Families for Freedom. Feedback from the events will help to identify potential improvements to the registration process and the relevant support for families. The Independent Institution will launch the registration process in the coming months.  

Karla Quintana, Head of the Independent Institution, emphasized: “The best way to commemorate the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is by working with and for the families on the ground – as we do every day. We continuously work with families, authorities, and partners in the field towards finding the truth of the fate and whereabouts of all the missing in Syria."  

Ms. Latifa Shaaban, coordinator of Families for Freedom in Lebanon, said: "We are pleased to inform families that they are an essential part of this work, alongside the Independent Institution. Today, during the workshop and collaboration on the registration process, we felt that practical and serious steps are being taken to uncover the fate of the missing and forcibly disappeared. We felt hopeful that together we can achieve the goal for which the Independent Institution was established. We are very optimistic about the prospect of working together inside Syria to uncover the truth and search for the missing." 

Enforced disappearances affect all of humanity. As the world commemorates the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria reaffirms its dedication to families in their pursuit of truth.  

About the Independent Institution: The Independent Institution is a UN entity established by the General Assembly on 29 June 2023 in response to the urgent calls for action from family members of Syria’s thousands of missing persons to determine their fate and whereabouts. The Independent Institution’s founding resolution mandates it to clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria and provide adequate support to the families of those missing. 

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For more information or media inquiries: 

Please contact: iimp-syria@un.org  

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