New York, 12 June 2025 – At a historic moment for a new Syria and for efforts to address the issue of missing persons, Karla Quintana, Head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic, delivered an informal briefing to the UN General Assembly for the first time since taking office.
"Just two years ago, this Assembly created a unique institution mandated with a core ethical principle: to bring truth to the families of the missing by looking for their loved ones. We owe this to the families, especially Syrian women who, along with other allies of civil society and of Member States led by Luxembourg, created this Institution. As a Syrian mother told us, “For the first time, families are at the heart of the solution." Quintana stated.
The briefing highlighted the Independent Institution’s foundational work and progress achieved so far: “Last year, the Independent Institution took important steps. We hired technical staff, drafted guidelines and plans, mapped actors, events and locations, and conducted context analysis and lines of inquiry essential for truth-seeking. We created a secure data center and an analysis platform, complemented by a legal framework for processing information. And of course, we invested in advanced technology for search operations and constructed a registry system. Since my appointment, we have had a constructive relationship with the interim authorities and conducted several missions in Syria: something unthinkable before December,” added Quintana.
The Syrian Arab Republic was represented in the briefing and noted that "Syrian Government reiterates its full support to the mandate of the Independent Institution and will provide all the facilitations needed to fulfill this work."
The Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic stressed during the briefing on cooperation between the Independent Institution and the Syrian National Commission on Missing Persons, reiterating Syria’s full support to the mandate of the Independent Institution and the willingness to provide all necessary facilitation to enable its work. Many Member States also affirmed that the efforts to address the crisis of the missing in Syria must be nationally led and internationally supported.
Karla Quintana called on Member States to provide the necessary political, financial, and technical support to ensure sustained progress in the search for the missing and in providing support to their families. She also underscored the importance of working with relevant UN actors and international stakeholders working on the missing. She emphasised that: “Multilateralism, within the international community and organizations, is needed more than ever in the current context.”
Quintana acknowledged that having access to the country is crucial. She stated that the Independent Institution will work hand in hand with Syrians and with all relevant stakeholders to help find answers for everyone who has someone missing in Syria and for the society at large, based on the comparative experience.
She concluded: “One thing is clear: no one can alone address the crisis of the missing, and Syrians must lead this process while we stand on their side to support them.”
****
For more information or media inquiries, please contact: iimp-syria@un.org
To watch the full briefing, click here
To read the full statement, click here