Committee on Enforced Disappearances

Report on requests for urgent action submitted under article 30 of the Convention *

A.Introduction

1.Pursuant to rules 57 and 58 of the Committee’s rules of procedure, all requests for urgent action submitted for consideration under article 30 of the Convention are to be brought to the attention of the Committee. The present report contains a summary of the main issues that have arisen in relation to the requests for urgent action received by the Committee and in the context of the follow-up to registered requests for the period 1 March 2025 to 16 September 2025.

B.Requests for urgent action received

2.In its previous report on requests for urgent action, the Committee provided information on the trends observed in the requests concerning disappeared persons that had been registered up to 28 February 2025. Between 1 March 2025 and 16 September 2025, the Committee received 205 new requests for urgent action (compared with 159 in the previous reporting period). At the time of writing the present report, the Committee had decided to register 133 of those requests and 11 additional requests received before the period under review, for a total of 144 new registrations (compared with 106 registrations in the previous reporting period); 7 of the new requests were being prepared for submission to the Committee.

3.Of the new requests, 65 were not registered, for the following reasons:

(a)Additional information was requested from the authors of 22 requests, but had not yet been provided at the time of writing the present report;

(b)In six requests, the allegations submitted did not include the constitutive elements of a disappearance or enforced disappearance under articles 2 and 3 of the Convention: three related to France, one to Cambodia, one to Mexico and one to Spain;

(c)In 21 requests, the facts referred to a disappearance that had occurred in a State that is not a Party to the Convention: four related to the Syrian Arab Republic, four to Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), three to the Russian Federation, two to Türkiye, two to the United States of America, one to Algeria, one to Egypt, one to Jordan, one to Libya, one to Myanmar and one to Pakistan;

(d)Three requests referred to disappearances for which the period of disappearance started before the entry into force of the Convention: two related to Mexico and one to Iraq;

(e)Twelve requests referred to cases of so-called short-term enforced disappearance, where the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared persons were clarified before the Committee could register the request: 10 related to Panama, 1 to Mexico and 1 to Ukraine;

(f)In one request, related to Austria, the authors also submitted an individual communication under article 31 of the Convention concerning the same facts; after examining both requests, and in view of the particular circumstances of the case, the Committee decided not to register the urgent action and proceeded with the individual communication, granting interim measures.

4.In compliance with the principle of complementarity of the mandates of the two mechanisms and in accordance with established practice, the requests relating to States that have not ratified the Convention and to disappearances that took place before the entry into force of the Convention were forwarded to the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances for its consideration.

5.As at 16 September 2025, the Committee had registered, on the basis of the place of occurrence of the alleged disappearance, 2,132 requests (see tables 1 and 2). Fifty-eight of those requests gave rise to parallel registration where, according to the circumstances of the case, judicial assistance and cooperation mechanisms between various States Parties were deemed necessary: to investigate the alleged disappearance; strengthen the chances of gathering information relevant to the search for the disappeared person, for example information on the place of the crime, on the place where pieces of evidence have been located, on the country of nationality of the alleged perpetrators and of the disappeared person and any other victims, and on any country of transit; and to assist the victims, including with regard to accessing information and participating in search and investigation processes. As at 16 September 2025, 3 of the parallel registrations had been transmitted to the other State Party (or States Parties) concerned for information (the practice until 2022) and 55 had been registered under a specific registration number to facilitate the follow-up to the actions taken by each of the States concerned.

Table 1

Urgent action requests registered, as at 16 September 2025, by State Party (place of occurrence of the disappearance) and by year

State Party

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025 a

Total

Argentina

–

–

–

–

–

2

–

–

1

–

–

–

1

–

4

Armenia

–

–

–

–

–

1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

Brazil

–

–

1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2 b

–

3

Burkina Faso

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

–

–

1

1

9

12

Cambodia

–

–

1

–

–

–

–

2

1

–

–

–

–

2

6

Chile

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

1

Colombia

–

1

1

3

4

3

9

3

2

153

–

4

56 c

5

244

Croatia

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

–

–

1

Cuba

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

3

–

188

–

–

2

6

200

Ecuador

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

5

24

29

Gabon

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

8

–

–

8

Honduras

–

–

–

–

–

–

14

–

9

2

–

7

3

1

36

Iraq

–

–

5

42

22

43

50

226

103

41

42

10

27

52

663

Japan

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1 d

–

–

1

Kazakhstan

–

–

–

–

–

2

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2

Lithuania

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2

–

–

–

–

–

–

2

Mali

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

11

–

–

–

1

13

Mauritania

–

–

–

–

–

1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

Mexico

5

4

43

166

58

31

42

10

57

60

52

86 d

100

65 b

779

Morocco

–

–

–

–

1

2

–

–

–

2

2 d

–

–

–

7

Niger

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

–

–

–

1 d

–

2

Oman

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1 d

–

–

–

–

1

Paraguay

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

–

–

–

–

1

Peru

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

14

–

–

–

1

–

15

Slovakia

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

–

–

–

–

–

1

Sri Lanka

–

–

–

–

–

1

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

–

2

Sudan

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

2

12

12

27

Togo

–

–

–

–

–

–

2

–

1

–

–

–

–

2

5

Tunisia

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

–

–

–

–

–

1 d

2

Ukraine

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

3

1

–

–

4

Total

5

5

51

211

85

86

118

248

192

459

100

121

212

181

2 074

a As at 16 September 2025.

b Including one subject to parallel registration on the basis of the principle of international legal assistance and cooperation.

c Including 49 subject to parallel registration on the basis of the principle of international legal assistance and cooperation.

d Subject to parallel registration on the basis of the principle of international legal assistance and cooperation.

Table 2

Total registered urgent action requests and parallel registrations, as at 16 September 2025, by year

Request type	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	Total
Urgent action	5	5	51	211	85	86	118	248	192	459	100	121	212	181	2 074
Parallel registration	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1	1	–	54	2	58
Total	5	5	51	211	85	86	118	248	192	460	101	121	266	183	2 132

6.Between 1 March 2025 and 16 September 2025, the Committee sent 60 notes relating to registered requests for urgent action to follow up on the implementation of its recommendations and to make new recommendations to the States Parties concerned on the basis of the available information (compared to 46 in the previous reporting period). As at 16 September 2025, the Committee had a backlog of 481 urgent actions ready for follow-up (compared to 670 as at 28 February 2025): 385 in Spanish, 76 in English, 19 in Arabic and 1 in French.

C.Requests for urgent action that have been discontinued or closed

7.With regard to the meaning of the terminology it uses as relates to the status of cases that are discontinued or closed, the Committee recalls that:

(a)An urgent action request is discontinued when the disappeared person has been located but is still deprived of liberty; should the individual concerned be disappeared again in the context of the same deprivation of liberty, the Committee could reactivate the urgent action under the same reference number, thereby facilitating the follow-up to the case;

(b)An urgent action request is closed when the disappeared person has been found at liberty, has been found and released or has been found dead, provided that his or her family members and/or the authors do not contest those facts.

8.As at 16 September 2025, 537 disappeared persons on whose behalf an urgent action was opened have been located, including 19 during the current reporting period. The Committee welcomes the fact that 420 disappeared persons have been located alive since the beginning of the implementation of the procedure. Consequently, 488 urgent actions have been closed, and 49 have been discontinued. The Committee recalls that a large majority of cases in which the disappeared person was located alive relate to disappearances that took place in the context of protests in Colombia and Cuba, where the persons were deprived of their liberty and their relatives were denied any information as to their fate and whereabouts for days or weeks, thereby potentially falling within the category of so-called short-term enforced disappearances (see para. 83 below). The tables below show the number of urgent action cases discontinued or closed, by State Party (see table 3), or by year and State Party (see table 4).

Table 3

Requests for urgent action that are no longer open, by State Party, as at 16 September 2025

	Closed	Discontinued	Total
Argentina	2	–	2
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)	1	–	1
Burkina Faso	2	–	2
Cambodia	2	–	2
Colombia	160	–	160
Cuba	173	27	200
Gabon	6	2	8
Honduras	1	–	1
Iraq	29	12	41
Kazakhstan	2	–	2
Lithuania	2	–	2
Mauritania	–	1	1
Mexico	89	1	90
Morocco	1	3	4
Peru	14	–	14
Sri Lanka	1	1	2
Sudan	1	–	1
Togo	2	2	4
Total	488	49	537

Table 4

Urgent action requests closed or discontinued, as at 16 September 2025

Year	Total number of requests closed or discontinued in the referenced year	Number of requests closed or discontinued, disaggregated by country
2015	3	Iraq (3)
2016	2	Iraq (2)
2017	31	Iraq (3), Mexico (26), Morocco (2)
2018	6	Argentina (1), Iraq (2), Mexico (2), Sri Lanka (1)
2019	24	Cambodia (1), Cuba (1), Iraq (5), Mauritania (1), Mexico (14), Morocco (1), Togo (1)
2020	23	Bolivia (Plurinational State of) (1), Cambodia (1), Cuba (3), Iraq (11), Kazakhstan (2), Mexico (4), Togo (1)
2021	19	Cuba (1), Iraq (4), Lithuania (1), Peru (13)
2022	317	Colombia (151), Cuba (159), Iraq (4), Mexico (2), Sudan (1)
2023	70	Argentina (1), Burkina Faso (1), Colombia (7), Cuba (28), Honduras (1), Iraq (4), Lithuania (1), Mexico (25), Morocco (1), Peru (1)
2024	21	Burkina Faso (1), Colombia (2), Cuba (1), Gabon (8), Iraq (3), Mexico (5), Sri Lanka (1)
2025	21	Cuba (7), Mexico (12), Togo (2)
Total	537

D.Suspension of urgent action cases and related rules

9.In accordance with the criteria adopted at previous sessions, the Committee may suspend the follow-up to an urgent action case when the authors of the request have freely and unequivocally expressed their wish not to continue with the procedure, or where the source no longer exists or is unable to pursue the case, and steps taken by the Committee to contact other sources have not been successful. The follow-up on a suspended urgent action case is to be immediately reactivated upon the receipt of new information from the authors.

10.When the same case is submitted under the individual complaint procedure of the Committee, the urgent action remains open until a final decision is adopted by the Committee. Upon the adoption of a final decision, the Committee determines whether to suspend the urgent action, on a case-by-case basis.

11.As at 16 September 2025, the Committee had suspended 301 urgent actions for lack of reply by the authors of the initial requests (as compared with 284 as at 28 February 2025) despite the reminders sent (see table 5 below). Over the reporting period, seven urgent actions were reactivated upon the receipt of new comments from the authors (as compared to five in the previous reporting period).

Table 5

Suspended requests for urgent action, as at 16 September 2025

	Suspended
Colombia	12
Honduras	13
Iraq	27
Mali	1
Mexico	242
Morocco	1
Slovakia	1
Spain	1 a
Sri Lanka	1 b
Ukraine	2
Total	301

Note : Suspended cases can be reactivated immediately upon the receipt of overdue information from the authors of the request for urgent action.

a Relates to a parallel registration on the basis of the principle of international legal assistance and cooperation concerning an alleged disappearance in Morocco.

b Relates to a parallel registration on the basis of the principle of international legal assistance and cooperation concerning an alleged disappearance in Oman.

E.Developments since the end of the twenty-eighth session

12.Through its recommendations, the Committee provides guidance on the development of the search and investigation process. It also often acts as a point of contact between the authors and State authorities. The quality of the information provided is key in allowing the Committee to properly analyse the situation. Whenever doubts arise, the secretariat of the Committee contacts the source of the information.

13.The information received during the reporting period both confirms trends previously identified in the reports adopted by the Committee at its eleventh to twenty-eighth sessions and illustrates new trends. The following paragraphs are not intended to be an exhaustive analysis of all the information received under the urgent action procedure, but refer to issues that the Committee considers to be of public interest.

1.Cooperation and interaction of authors of urgent action requests with the Committee

14.The Committee reiterates the central role of the authors of urgent action requests in ensuring the efficiency of the procedure. All the information they share with the Committee is duly analysed and taken into account.

15.During the reporting period, key information as to the possible perpetrators or location of the disappeared person or about the availability of new witnesses or pieces of evidence was shared in respect of some cases. The Committee transmitted that information to the State Parties concerned, requesting the authorities to take immediate action in that regard. On various occasions, the victims emphasized that the Committee’s support in transmitting the information had been paramount, as the fear of reprisals had prevented them from transmitting the information themselves. They also highlighted the impact of the urgent action procedure on the development of the search and investigation process in their cases, as illustrated by the following messages:

“We thank the Committee on Enforced Disappearances for its great support, since without the issuance of this urgent action it would have been difficult to locate our son.”

“Had it not been for the urgent action issued by the Committee, nothing would have happened in the investigation. It was only from the registration of the urgent action that [the authorities responsible for the search and investigation] began to show concern for the search for my son. I was granted food support and the assignment of a victim’s lawyer.”

“Thank you again for the great effort you are making in communicating to each State its obligations regarding the search for disappeared persons.”

“I am deeply grateful for the support and follow-up that this Committee has provided in the case of my mother .... Its intervention has been key in sustaining the demand for truth, justice and effective investigation.”

“That is why we turned to this honourable Committee on Enforced Disappearances for protection and assistance. Only then did the search ... and the investigation … begin to move forward.”

16.Regrettably, various authors have also expressed their concern and frustration at the delays in the Committee’s process for sending follow-up letters to the States Parties to convey the available information and make new recommendations. The delays are a factor in revictimization, and the lack of human resources to cover this life-saving procedure remains of particularly high concern for the Committee.

2.Cooperation and interaction of States Parties with the Committee

17.Under article 30 (3) of the Convention, States Parties have the obligation to inform the Committee, within a specified period of time, of measures taken to locate and protect the person on whose behalf an urgent action request has been registered and, under article 26 (9), to cooperate with the Committee and assist its members in the fulfilment of their mandate. As in previous reporting periods, most States Parties replied to the requests sent by the Committee.

18.The Committee welcomes the effort demonstrated through the details provided in the replies sent by authorities in Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico. Nonetheless, the Committee is particularly concerned that some replies are merely standard responses and do not provide any information as to the measures taken by the competent authorities to search for the disappeared persons, clarify their location and investigate the alleged disappearance.

19.This trend is particularly concerning in the cases related to Iraq, for which, despite the concerns reiterated by the Committee in that regard, the authorities continue sending standard replies that are very similar from case to case and seem to indicate that no action is being taken to search for the disappeared persons and investigate the alleged disappearances (see paras. 61–64 below).

20.The Committee is also concerned about the replies in which the States Parties concerned report that the person on whose behalf an urgent action request was registered is deprived of liberty, but do not specify the place where the person is detained. In such cases, the Committee has reminded the States Parties that, in accordance with articles 17 and 18 of the Convention and relevant standards:

(a)The competent authorities are to immediately provide information regarding the exact location where the disappeared person is detained;

(b)The deprivation of liberty must occur exclusively in a detention facility that is officially recognized and subject to oversight by the relevant authorities;

(c)Detained persons must be guaranteed the right to communicate, without delay, with their family, legal counsel or any other person of their choosing, and to receive visits from them immediately;

(d)Detained persons must be provided with immediate, regular and appropriate medical care, specific to their health condition;

(e)The families of persons deprived of liberty, legal representatives, lawyers, and any other person with a legitimate interest must be granted access to the information specified under article 18 of the Convention.

21.The Committee recalls that effective cooperation requires substantive communication. In this regard, the Committee encourages each State Party:

(a)To provide detailed information on the specific measures taken to search for the disappeared person concerned and to investigate the disappearance, thereby facilitating follow-up on the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations;

(b)To indicate clearly whenever it is not in a position to provide a reply concerning a recommendation, explaining the reasons, in order to allow the Committee to analyse the challenges faced and to duly assess the situation;

(c)To contact the secretariat of the Committee whenever clarification is needed or to suggest ways to improve the urgent action procedure.

22.If the State Party fails to provide the information requested by the Committee under the urgent action procedure, the Committee sends reminders to the Permanent Mission concerned in order to follow up on pending requests for information and to encourage timely cooperation. In addition, to prevent a lack of response from contributing to impunity in the cases concerned, the Committee sends a note verbale to the States Parties concerned on a yearly basis, with a list of all urgent action requests for which the deadlines set in the final reminders have expired, requesting an update on the actions taken to search for the disappeared person and to investigate the disappearance. The replies received are transmitted to the authors, and the Committee considers the action to take, in the light of the outcome of the consultation process.

23.In the report submitted by the Committee to the General Assembly at its eightieth session, the Committee highlighted its concern about the lack of replies from Cambodia, Iraq, Mexico and the Sudan. The Committee welcomes the fact that during the reporting period, States Parties submitted replies to 22 of the 191 requests for which a final reminder had been sent and for which, as at 28 February 2025, the Committee had not yet received a response. In particular, the Committee commends Mexico for submitting a reply regarding all 18 of the requests for which it had received a final reminder. As at 16 September 2025, the Committee was still awaiting responses to final reminders regarding a total of 178 requests for urgent action, sent to Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Iraq, Niger and the Sudan, compared with 191 as at 28 February 2025 (see table 6).

24.Pursuant to rule 62 (7) of the Committee’s rules of procedure, the complete list of urgent action requests, including information concerning which States Parties have received a final reminder, is available on the Committee’s web page (updated after each session of the Committee). The list is referred to in the annual report the Committee submits to the General Assembly and is also shared with the Human Rights Council.

Table 6

Number of urgent action requests for which the deadline set in the final reminder sent to the State Party concerned has expired, as at 16 September 2025

State Party	As at 9 September 2024	As at 28 February 2025	As at 16 September 2025
Cambodia	2	2	2
Côte d ’ Ivoire	-	-	1 a
Iraq	171	167	163
Mexico	18	18	-
Niger	-	-	1
Sudan	3	4	11
Total	194	191	178

a Relates to a parallel registration on the basis of the principle of international legal assistance and cooperation concerning an alleged disappearance in the Niger.

3.Registration notes sent by the Committee to States Parties

25.Since October 2024, the Committee has implemented a new structure for the notes transmitted upon the registration of urgent action requests. The Committee recalls that the purpose of the new structure is to facilitate the preparation of replies by States Parties and the follow-up to the actions taken. Together with the elements related to the identification of the disappeared person and the context of the alleged disappearance, the Committee now transmits its recommendations in a table and invites the State Party to describe the actions taken in the column entitled “Responses of the State Party”. On the basis of the response received and following the analysis of the information gathered in the context of the respective urgent action request, the Committee transmits new recommendations and relevant information to support collaboration with the State Party until the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared persons have been clarified.

(a)Search and investigation

26.In all cases, the Committee starts with recommendations for, and requests for information from, the States Parties concerned on the search and investigation processes carried out in the specific case.

(b)Differential approach and interim measures protection

27.Whenever the profile of a victim so requires, the Committee requests the State Party to ensure the adoption of a differential approach. During the period under review, this was applied to cases where the disappeared person is a woman, a child or adolescent, an older person, a person with disabilities or requiring a specific medical treatment, or whenever the person belongs to an ethnic, religious or linguistic minority. The Committee has also requested States Parties to take a differential approach where the disappeared person has children, to ensure that the specific requirements of those children are duly taken into account, including by providing accurate information appropriate to their age, providing spaces for the expression of emotions and active participation, providing ongoing psychological and emotional support, and using messages that reaffirm their safety.

28.In addition, when the Committee receives information that relatives or representatives of the disappeared person, or pieces of evidence relevant for the search and investigation, are at risk, it can request the State Party to adopt interim measures of protection. In that context, the Committee reminds the State Party of its obligation to take such measures immediately, in consultation with the persons concerned, and requests the State Party to review the established protection scheme periodically, in order to ensure that the individuals concerned can pursue their search and investigation activities safely, and that their basic needs in that regard are met. In cases where pieces of evidence are at risk of destruction, the Committee has requested the State Party concerned to adopt immediate measures to protect the evidence.

4.Trends regarding the urgent action requests registered during the reporting period

(a)Trends observed

29.Of the disappeared persons concerned in the 144 requests registered during the reporting period:

88. per cent (127) are men or boys (compared with 83 per cent in the previous reporting period)

12 per cent (17) are women or girls (compared with 17 per cent in the previous reporting period), including 2 (1 per cent) who were pregnant at the time of their disappearance

9.03 per cent (13) are minors (compared with 12 per cent in the previous reporting period)

1.39 per cent (2) are older persons (compared with 4 per cent in the previous reporting period)

2.08 per cent (3) are persons with disabilities (compared with 6 per cent in the previous reporting period)

1.39 per cent (2) belong to ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities (compared with 19 per cent in the previous reporting period)

5.56 per cent (8) are human rights defenders (compared with 4 per cent in the previous reporting period)

None of the registered cases related to LGTBIQ+ persons (compared with 3 per cent in the previous reporting period).

30.Of the new requests registered during the reporting period, 35 per cent relate to Mexico (51 urgent action requests); 35 per cent to Iraq (51 urgent action requests); 7 per cent to the Sudan (10 urgent action requests); 6 per cent to Burkina Faso (9 urgent action requests); 4 per cent to Ecuador (6 urgent action requests); 4 per cent to Cuba (6 urgent action requests); 2 per cent to Colombia (3 parallel registrations); just over 1 per cent each to Cambodia (2 urgent action requests) and to Togo (2 urgent action requests); and just under 1 per cent each to Côte d’Ivoire (1 parallel registration), to Honduras (1 urgent action request), to Mali (1 urgent action request) and to Tunisia (1 urgent action request) (see table 7).

Table 7

Percentage of the urgent action requests received over the reporting period pertaining to each State Party concerned (as at 16 September 2025)

State Party	Percentage of the total number of urgent action requests received over the reporting period
Iraq	35 per cent
Mexico	35 per cent
Sudan	7 per cent
Burkina Faso	6 per cent
Cuba	4 per cent
Ecuador	4 per cent
Colombia	2 per cent
Cambodia	1 per cent
Côte d ’ Ivoire	1 per cent
Honduras	1 per cent
Mali	1 per cent
Togo	1 per cent
Tunisia	1 per cent

(b)Specific allegations

31.The Committee considers it of utmost importance to make public the circumstances of the facts put to its consideration, with a view to shedding light on the different dimensions of the phenomenon and to fostering greater awareness of enforced disappearance. Accordingly, the Committee includes descriptions of the facts when the number of registered urgent action requests related to a State Party is not too large to do so. For other cases, the Committee provides a general description of trends identified in the cases presented. The list of registered requests is available on the Committee’s web page.

(i)Allegations related to Burkina Faso

32.During the reporting period, the Committee registered nine new urgent action requests related to events that occurred between 27 September 2023 and 26 November 2024 in Burkina Faso. The cases relate to military officers, magistrates, lawyers, medical professionals and other individuals who were reportedly deprived of liberty by State agents under various circumstances. According to the information received, most of the reported deprivations of liberty followed summonses to hearings or meetings to which the disappeared persons were called by military justice agents, the National Intelligence Agency or other State security forces.

33.Representatives of the disappeared persons reported that all contact was lost immediately following the alleged arrests and that the competent authorities have provided no official information regarding the disappeared persons’ fate or whereabouts, despite reiterated requests for information in that regard. In certain cases, personal belongings were returned without explanation, medical prescriptions were delivered to relatives, or witnesses reported sightings of the disappeared persons, under strict surveillance, in military facilities.

34.In the light of the information received, the Committee requested the State Party to clarify without delay the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared persons; to specify the legal basis for and proceedings related to their deprivation of liberty; and to guarantee that, if the persons are detained, their relatives and representatives are provided with prompt access to relevant information. The Committee further requested that the disappeared persons be allowed to communicate with and be visited by their relatives, legal counsel or any other person of their choice, and that any deprivation of liberty take place solely in officially recognized and supervised facilities, in full compliance with articles 17 and 18 of the Convention.

35.In two cases, allegations indicated that relatives or representatives seeking to clarify the fate and whereabouts of disappeared persons had been subjected to threats and acts of reprisal. The Committee urged the State Party to adopt immediate interim measures, in accordance with article 30 (3) of the Convention and in line with principle 14 of the Guiding Principles for the Search for Disappeared Persons.

36.At the time of writing the present report, the State Party had provided responses to seven of the nine new urgent actions, indicating either that the persons concerned were subject to judicial proceedings and detained in a penitentiary facility, or that they were suspected of involvement in actions undermining State security and that investigations had been initiated to determine responsibilities. However, none of the responses clarified the exact whereabouts of the persons concerned. The Committee therefore reiterated its request for detailed information, including the names and addresses of the places of deprivation of liberty concerned, and the measures taken to guarantee access to information for relatives and representatives, in line with articles 17 and 18 of the Convention, and set an additional deadline for the State Party to provide that information.

(ii)Allegations related to Cambodia

37.The Committee registered two new urgent action requests concerning nationals of China who had travelled to Cambodia in March 2025 after being offered employment opportunities by an agency. Shortly after the individuals’ arrival, their relatives lost contact with them. The individuals subsequently informed their families that they had been taken forcibly to a compound in Cambodia, where they appear to have been subjected to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, including electric shocks and physical assaults. All communication ceased following the relatives’ reports of the disappearances to the Cambodian and Chinese authorities. To date, there is no information as to the fate and whereabouts of the two persons, nor about the possible perpetrators of their alleged disappearances.

38.The Committee requested the State Party to verify urgently whether the two disappeared persons are being held in compounds at the coordinates last shared before contact was lost, including through an in-depth analysis of telephone networks to obtain location data and other relevant information. The Committee further requested the State Party to establish cooperation mechanisms with the competent authorities of China, with a view to assisting the families and strengthening the search and investigation processes, including by ensuring family participation and facilitating the exchange of relevant personal data and the collection of biological samples to support identification. The Committee also requested that the search and investigation strategy take into account the Committee’s general comment No. 1 (2023) on enforced disappearance in the context of migration, in particular by conducting a contextual analysis of disappearances of migrants in the area, including possible links to trafficking in persons.

39.At the time of preparing the present report, no reply had been received from the State Party, despite two reminders sent by the Committee.

(iii)Allegations related to Colombia

40.During the reporting period, the Committee registered three new urgent actions concerning Colombia. The cases involve a human rights defender, a young man and a minor who were reportedly deprived of liberty in different contexts and regions of the country (Caquetá, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca).

41.In the first case, allegations indicate that in 2024, the human rights defender, who was pregnant at the time of her disappearance, was intercepted by unidentified armed men on her way to a medical appointment. Messages later sent from her phone suggested that she was being transferred through rural areas by persons connected with illegal armed groups. Since then, no information has been available regarding her fate or whereabouts.

42.In the second case, the allegations refer to the disappearance of a young man in 2025. After taking part in a motorcycle competition with friends, he attended a party. When he returned to his home, he was reportedly intercepted by four armed men who forced him into a vehicle and took him to an unknown location. Since then, no information has been available regarding his fate or whereabouts.

43.The third case concerns the disappearance of a girl in 2023, together with another minor, in Valle del Cauca. The evening of their disappearance, they were last seen outside their home, when a vehicle approached and unidentified individuals forced them inside, taking them to an unknown location. Since then, no information has been available regarding their fate or whereabouts. According to the information received, other minors had reportedly disappeared in the same area around the same dates, with residents observing unidentified men in vehicles abducting young persons.

44.In all the above-mentioned cases, the information provided to the Committee includes references to territorial control by non-State armed groups and organized crime over the areas where the disappearances occurred, and includes allegations of collusion with State agents, including in relation to disappearances. The information available also reveals failures in the development of search and investigation processes.

(iv)Allegations related to Cuba

45.During the reporting period, the Committee registered six new urgent action requests concerning Cuba. The cases involve human rights defenders and other persons reportedly deprived of liberty. According to the information received, the incidents are linked to arrests carried out by agents of State security forces without judicial orders or acknowledgment of the detention, leaving relatives and representatives without official information about the fate and whereabouts of the persons concerned.

46.In the first set of cases, two human rights defenders previously released under conditional measures were reportedly rearrested at their homes in 2025 by State security and police forces. Witnesses indicated that the arrests took place without the presentation of a judicial warrant and that no justification was provided to the families.

47.In the second set of cases, four other individuals linked to civic activities were reportedly arrested by agents of State security forces in 2025, at the premises of a civic organization. According to the information received, the individuals were detained without judicial authorization and none was able to communicate with relatives, legal counsel or representatives.

48.In all of the aforementioned cases, the information available indicates that no information on the fate or whereabouts of the persons concerned was communicated to their relatives or representatives, despite requests addressed to the authorities.

49.At the time of preparing the present report, the Committee had received information from both the State Party and the authors clarifying the fate and whereabouts of the six individuals concerned, following the registration of the respective urgent action requests. In view of this information, the Committee decided to discontinue two of the requests for urgent action, as the persons had been located in places of deprivation of liberty, and to close the remaining four requests for urgent action, as the persons had been located and released (see para. 7 above for further details on the terminology used).

(v)Allegations related to Ecuador

50.During the reporting period, the Committee registered six new urgent action requests concerning Ecuador, all related to events that took place at the end of 2024. The cases involve four young men and two minors who were reportedly deprived of liberty in the Provinces of Esmeraldas, Guayas and Los Ríos, most of them during military operations. According to the information received, the deprivation of liberty was carried out without judicial orders and included acts of violence; there was no official acknowledgment of the detention. Since then, the fate and whereabouts of the persons concerned remain unknown.

51.In the first of those urgent action requests to be registered, allegations indicate that a man was taken by alleged members of the armed forces from his home in Esmeraldas, along with two relatives and two neighbours. Witnesses reported that those apprehended were subjected to violence before being transferred in military vehicles to an unknown location. While the bodies of some of the detainees were later found, no information has been provided on the fate and whereabouts of the person concerned in this urgent action request. The Committee also received audiovisual material documenting the deprivation of liberty by alleged State agents, which it transmitted to the State Party to support the search and investigation processes.

52.The second, third and fourth of the above urgent action requests concern the disappearance of three young workers, two of them minors, in Guayas. They were reportedly apprehended by military personnel during an operation at their workplace (a banana plantation) and taken to an unknown location together with other workers. Despite complaints filed and a habeas corpus action, their relatives have not received any information about their fate or whereabouts.

53.The fifth urgent action request concerns the disappearance of a man in Los Ríos. He was allegedly forced into a vehicle by armed men dressed as soldiers; a friend, who was with him, was later released. Since then, his relatives have had no contact with him, despite having filed a complaint before the competent authorities.

54.In the sixth urgent action request that was registered, allegations indicate that at around 11 p.m. the day of his disappearance, a young man was at the house of a friend in Los Ríos, when a black double-cabin vehicle arrived. According to witnesses, 11 armed military agents descended from the vehicle, forced entry into the residence and compelled the young man, together with two friends, to get into the vehicle. They were then taken to an unknown location.

55.In all of the above-mentioned cases, the information received points to the alleged involvement of State agents, an absence of official information on the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared persons, and challenges in the search and investigation processes. The Committee therefore requested the State Party to clarify without delay the fate and whereabouts of the six persons concerned, to establish comprehensive strategies for search and investigation that consider all possible hypotheses, to ensure that relatives receive timely information and can participate effectively and to adopt urgent protection measures for relatives and representatives. The Committee stressed that, in cases involving minors, the strategies must apply a differentiated approach that takes into account their specific requirements, in line with the Convention and principle 4 of the Guiding Principles for the Search for Disappeared Persons.

56.At the time of preparing the present report, the Committee had received a response from the State Party to all six registered urgent action requests, which it transmitted to the authors of the urgent action requests for their comments, in accordance with article 30 (3) of the Convention. Once it has gathered the necessary information, the Committee will send a follow-up note to the State Party, sharing all the information and recommendations it considers of relevance for the search for the disappeared persons and for the investigation of the alleged disappearances.

(vi)Allegations related to Honduras

57.During the reporting period, the Committee registered one new urgent action request concerning Honduras, related to the disappearance in 2025 of a member of the Garífuna community.

58.According to the information received, at around 1 a.m. on the day of the disappearance, armed men identifying themselves as agents of the National Police forced entry into the person’s home, seized him without presenting a judicial warrant and compelled him to get into a vehicle, after which he was taken to an unknown location. Despite the filing of complaints before the competent authorities and the presentation of a habeas corpus petition, no official information has been provided regarding his fate or whereabouts.

59.The Committee requested the State Party to clarify without delay the fate and whereabouts of the person concerned. It emphasized that the search and investigation strategy should incorporate a differentiated approach, taking into account that the person is a member of the Garífuna community, in accordance with the Convention and the Guiding Principles for the Search for Disappeared Persons.

60.At the time of preparing the present report, the Committee had received information from both the State Party and the authors of the request, and a follow-up note on this case is pending.

(vii)Allegations related to Iraq

61.During the reporting period, the Committee registered 51 new requests for urgent action concerning Iraq. The cases involve men and boys from different governorates: Anbar (28 urgent action requests), Salah al-Din (19), Baghdad (2) and Nineveh (2). According to the information received, the incidents were allegedly carried out by State agents or armed groups affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, many during military operations or security checks.

62.Many of the cases relate to events that took place on 2 June 2016 in Anbar, in which more than 30 men were reportedly separated from women and children during an operation conducted by armed groups allegedly affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces. Witnesses reported that those taken were loaded onto buses and military trucks, ostensibly for security screenings. The families were promised that the men would be released in three days, once the security checks had been completed. Nevertheless, the men never reappeared, and there is no information as to their fate and whereabouts.

63.Other cases registered during the reporting period concern individual and group disappearances in Salah al-Din between 2015 and 2017, where victims were allegedly taken from their homes or from camps for internally displaced persons by armed men in uniform, often identified as members of so-called militias affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, and never returned.

64.In all the above-mentioned cases, the relatives and representatives of the disappeared persons filed complaints with police and judicial authorities. However, the information available indicates that the competent authorities have not provided information on the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared persons, nor have they carried out prompt and effective searches and investigations. The Committee notes with concern that, according to the available information:

(a)In some instances, State agents allegedly sought to dissuade relatives from reporting the disappearance of their loved ones. In one case, the Committee received allegations that a judge had told the mother of a disappeared person that if the mother reported allegations against a particular armed group allegedly affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, both the judge and the mother would be disappeared. In view of such intimidation, several families were reportedly forced to leave their homes after filing reports of disappearances;

(b)Once cases are reported, the State Party authorities allegedly fail to adopt search and investigation strategies or to implement specific measures to locate the disappeared persons, including searches for persons who are still alive, the identification and analysis of burial sites, and interviews with key witnesses; furthermore, the measures reported have been limited to checking records and requesting relatives of disappeared persons to go to the forensic medicine department to review photographs of unidentified bodies;

(c)Families and representatives of disappeared persons are reportedly not provided with information on the search and investigation processes concerning their relatives, nor are they enabled to participate in those processes; it is also reported that relatives do not receive any form of legal assistance in the proceedings;

(d)Allegedly, there has still been no progress made in the cases, despite the time that has elapsed since the disappearances occurred.

(viii)Allegations related to Mexico

65.Regarding the 51 urgent action requests concerning Mexico registered during the reporting period, the disappearances occurred between 14 May 2014 and 19 June 2025. Of those, more than 22 relate to disappearances that occurred in 2024 and 2025. Characteristics of the cases were as follows:

(a)A total of 57 per cent relate to disappearances that occurred in Baja California (29 urgent action requests); 12 per cent in Jalisco (6); 8 per cent in Guanajuato (4), 6 per cent in Michoacan (3), 4 per cent each in Mexico City and Zacatecas (2 each), and 2 per cent each in Colima, Guerrero, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Veracruz (1 each).

(b)Profiles of the disappeared persons:

76 per cent (39) men or boys

24 per cent (12) women or girls, including one woman who was pregnant at the time of her disappearance

10 per cent (5) minors

2 per cent (1) persons with disabilities

2 per cent (1) human rights defenders.

66.A number of disappearances in Baja California, particularly in Tijuana, Playas de Rosarito, Ensenada and Mexicali, reportedly involved victims deprived of liberty during police operations or intercepted by men in uniform. In Ensenada, municipal police agents allegedly subjected a group of construction workers to violence before forcing the workers into patrol cars; some were later located in detention and others are still disappeared. In another case, one woman and four men were reportedly taken from a ranch, where bloodstains and personal belongings were found. While some police officers are facing criminal proceedings for those cases, concerns persist regarding delays, intimidation against families and the concealment of or tampering with crucial evidence.

67.In the cases that occurred in Jalisco, persons were allegedly deprived of liberty by individuals identified as agents of the state, and by armed men, in a context concerning which the Committee has received multiple allegations of collusion between agents of the state and criminal actors. The Committee was informed that in one of the cases, which occurred in Tecolotlán municipality, arrest warrants had been issued against seven municipal police officers in connection with the disappearance, but that the warrants had not been executed to date.

68.In Guanajuato, a man and his employer were allegedly taken from a carpentry workshop by individuals identifying themselves as agents of the state prosecutor’s office and then transported to an unknown place. Another disappearance, in Irapuato municipality, concerns a human rights defender who was allegedly taken from his home by armed men; he had been searching for his disappeared son. During the incident, another of the defender’s sons was killed in front of the family. Since then, no information has been provided on fate and whereabouts of the defender – or the son who had been disappeared. In Valle de Santiago municipality, a teenager was allegedly detained and taken to an unknown location by individuals wearing military uniform. A search of his house was allegedly carried out by the public prosecutor’s office and the armed forces on the day of the disappearance.

69.In some cases, information on the circumstances of the disappearance and on the possible perpetrators is scarce, as the incidents occurred in the absence of witnesses and search measures have not led to the identification of any evidence. Nevertheless, such disappearances have taken place in contexts concerning which the Committee has received multiple allegations of links between local authorities and criminal groups, including in relation to disappearances. In other cases, the Committee has received allegations of serious shortcomings in the search and investigation processes initiated by the State Party’s authorities, including significant delays and little or no action taken over extended periods of time.

70.Regarding victim participation and access to information, the Committee notes with concern the information received, notably concerning disappearances in Baja California, indicating that relatives and representatives of disappeared persons are sometimes not notified of planned search activities, which prevents their meaningful participation in such processes. Families also allegedly face limitations in accessing case files, including issues with missing pages and disorganized records, and have reported difficulties in contacting agents of the prosecutor’s office and victim advisers responsible for their cases.

(ix)Allegations related to Mali

71.During the reporting period, the Committee registered one new urgent action request concerning Mali. The case concerns a journalist who was disappeared in May 2025. According to the information received, five men identifying themselves as members of the State security forces allegedly forced him into a vehicle without licence plates in the presence of witnesses, after which he was taken to an unknown location. His relatives subsequently searched for him in various police stations and gendarmerie brigades, without success.

72.Although a complaint has been filed before the competent authorities, no official information has been provided on the person’s fate or whereabouts, nor has any judicial proceeding against him been confirmed. Allegations suggest that his disappearance may be linked to his professional activities and his involvement in civic and political movements.

(x)Allegations related to the Sudan

73.During the reporting period, the Committee registered 10 new urgent action requests concerning the Sudan. The cases involve civilians and members of the armed forces who were reportedly deprived of liberty between 16 April 2023 and 12 January 2025. According to the information received, most of the incidents were allegedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces, sometimes in conjunction with other armed groups, or by the Sudanese Armed Forces during raids or house searches or at checkpoints.

74.Several cases concern civilians who were reportedly taken during military operations in Khartoum and other urban centres. Allegations include the abduction of a woman along with neighbours during a raid in Khartoum, the detention of a schoolteacher by a so-called security cell reportedly affiliated to the Sudanese Armed Forces in Blue Nile State, the arrest of a man in Khartoum who was later transferred to an undisclosed location, and the detention of a physician in Khartoum. These individuals were reportedly taken away by armed men, in some cases being forced into vehicles, and have not been seen since.

75.Other cases involve members or former members of the armed forces and security institutions. These include a soldier reportedly captured in Sennar, a national security officer detained in Omdurman, a former officer allegedly taken in Khartoum, a volunteer with the Sudanese Armed Forces who disappeared in Omdurman and an individual detained in Omdurman. Witnesses described violent raids in which the persons concerned were seized, often in front of their relatives, and taken to unknown locations.

76.In all these cases, relatives reported losing all contact immediately after the alleged arrests, and efforts to engage with the authorities have not yielded any official information on the disappeared persons. At the time of preparing the present report, the State Party had provided responses to only 8 of the 26 urgent action requests currently open, despite the reminders sent by the Committee.

(xi)Allegations related to Côte d’Ivoire and Tunisia

77.During the reporting period, the Committee registered one new urgent action concerning both Côte d’Ivoire and Tunisia. The case concerns a woman of Ivorian nationality who disappeared in the context of migration. According to the information received, in November 2023 she travelled to Tunisia, with the intention of reaching Italy by sea. The day she was to embark with other migrants, she contacted her relatives. That night, she reportedly boarded a boat with 49 persons, which departed from the Tunisian coast but never arrived in Italy. Allegations indicate that the vessel was intercepted by units of the Tunisian National Guard off the coast between Sfax and Mahdia. The following day, an official communiqué reported the interception of 97 persons of sub-Saharan origin attempting to cross the maritime border.

78.Additional information received suggests that the persons who were intercepted may have been transferred to Tripoli, Libya, where they were allegedly held in a detention centre before being moved to an unknown location. Despite repeated communications addressed to the authorities of Tunisia, as well as to Côte d’Ivoire and Libya, no official information has been provided to clarify the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person.

79.The urgent action request was registered with Tunisia, as the State where the disappearance allegedly occurred, and with Côte d’Ivoire under articles 14 and 15 of the Convention, as the State of nationality of the disappeared person. The Committee underlines that this parallel registration is aimed at facilitating cooperation between the two States in order to strengthen search and investigation efforts, including with regard to exchanging identifying information, collecting DNA samples from relatives and ensuring that relatives have access to information and are able to participate effectively in all related processes. The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances registered this case for Libya under its humanitarian procedure, in coordination with the Committee.

(xii)Allegations related to Togo

80.During the reporting period, the Committee registered two new urgent action requests concerning Togo. Both cases concern men who were reportedly deprived of liberty in Lomé in 2025 and taken to unknown locations. According to the information received, in both cases the relatives have not obtained any official information on their fate or whereabouts, despite having approached the competent authorities.

81.In the first case, a group of 15 to 20 armed men in civilian clothes reportedly raided the home of a former corporal. The men allegedly handcuffed him, searched his room and took him away by force to an unknown destination. Relatives searched for him in various police stations and gendarmerie brigades without success and filed complaints with relevant authorities. At the time of preparing the present report, his fate and whereabouts remain unclarified.

82.The second case relates to a digital content creator and activist. He was allegedly detained following an online broadcast critical of the authorities, held incommunicado and subjected to ill-treatment before being brought to a police station and later transferred to prison. While placed in a disciplinary cell, unidentified men in civilian clothes allegedly removed him from the prison and took him to an unknown location. When his relatives attempted to visit him, they were told he had been transferred to another facility, but this information has not been confirmed. His fate and whereabouts also remain unknown.

(xiii)So-called short-term disappearances

83.During the reporting period, the Committee registered six cases of alleged so-called short-term enforced disappearance related to events in Cuba (see para. 8 above). Twelve other allegations of such disappearances were not formally registered, however, because the information about the release of the alleged victims was confirmed before the Committee could take action (see para. 3 above). Nonetheless, the Committee has kept a register of such allegations, of which 10 relate to Panama, 1 relates to Mexico and 1 relates to Ukraine.

5.Replies received from States Parties

(a)General trends

84.During the reporting period, the replies received from States Parties reflected the trends that have been maintained through the years, with slight evolutions. The new format of urgent action requests and follow-up is being used increasingly. The replies received in the new format have been brief but more to the point, facilitating follow-up. However, many replies remain very general and do not respond to all of the Committee’s recommendations.

(b)Trends observed in the replies of Iraq

85.The Committee regrets that the concerning trends observed in the replies of Iraq in previous reporting periods continue to persist. In particular, the Committee notes with concern that the State Party does not provide concrete information on the measures taken to implement the recommendations, especially with regard to the measures to be taken to search for disappeared persons and investigate their disappearance, to guarantee relatives and representatives access to information on the search and investigation processes and their effective participation in them, and to ensure their protection against threats, intimidation and reprisals. The Committee further observes that none of the replies received during the reporting period demonstrate that the State authorities have established and implemented search strategies that include an action plan and a timeline for the search for disappeared persons and the impartial investigation of the disappearances, in line with the requirements of due diligence, considering all investigative hypotheses and supported by adequate resources and properly trained and independent personnel.

86.The Committee observes with concern that the replies submitted by the State Party are frequently vague and, at times, contradictory to previous communications on the same case. Many consist of standard responses that merely reiterate information already provided to the Committee, such as the name, address or other personal details of the disappeared person.

87.The Committee notes that many of the replies received are repetitive across different urgent action requests and fail to address the specific circumstances of each case. On many occasions, the only measure reported has consisted of requesting relatives of disappeared persons to go to the forensic medicine department to review photographs of unidentified bodies. According to the available information, these procedures have not yielded results, and the new invitations have not clarified whether additional material was available that could justify the repetition of such reviews. In other replies, the information provided has been limited to indicating that various institutions had consulted their records without finding any match with the disappeared person. The Committee notes with concern that some replies have stated that the disappeared person has died, without providing elements that could substantiate such a statement or clarify the fate and whereabouts of the person, while others have simply indicated that the persons are considered by the State Party as belonging to terrorist groups, without specifying the measures taken to locate them or to investigate their disappearance.

88.The Committee notes that when cases are grouped, the replies from the State Party often address only one or a few of the disappeared persons concerned. Despite the Committee’s efforts to request information for all cases, including by providing clear tables indicating the full names of the disappeared persons, rendered in both Arabic and English, together with the urgent action number attributed to each case, the replies received appear to reveal that no specific actions have been taken to search for each of the disappeared persons concerned and investigate the individual disappearances, including the allegations involving State agents.

89.The recommendations addressed by the Committee to the State Party include the following:

(a)Establish, without delay, comprehensive search strategies that include an action plan and a timeline, and ensure that relatives of the disappeared person have access to information on those strategies and can participate effectively in the search and investigation processes;

(b)Verify, without delay, whether the person is being held in a place of deprivation of liberty under the authority of the State Party; if that is the case, inform the relatives and representatives without delay of the place of deprivation of liberty, guaranteeing their access to information on the circumstances of the disappearance, and to the person concerned, through visits, in full compliance with articles 17 and 18 of the Convention;

(c)Conduct in-person search activities in locations relevant to the case concerned; in this context, identify, collect and analyse evidentiary elements related to the facts under consideration, including, in the case of detention centres, detention registers, transfer orders, records of interrogation or investigation and medical examination or treatment records;

(d)Identify, locate and interview suspects, witnesses and any other persons who may hold information relevant to the disappearance; at the same time, take all measures necessary to ensure their protection, including through the confidential handling of any information concerning their participation in the proceedings.

(c)Trends observed in the replies of Mexico

90.The Committee notes positively that, during the reporting period, most of the replies submitted by the State Party concerning registered urgent action requests were received in a timely manner, and all cases for which a final reminder had been sent were addressed. However, the Committee notes with concern that troubling trends identified in the replies from the State Party in previous reporting periods persist.

91.In that connection, the available information indicates the absence or limited establishment of comprehensive search strategies, and difficulties in the coordinated planning of search activities, including for searches undertaken with the presumption that the disappeared person is alive and for searches in reported burial sites. In most cases, the activities reported by the State Party consist merely of checking for matches in different registries, with few actions that could substantially contribute to the search for the disappeared person.

92.While the Committee notes that inter-institutional meetings are being held to follow up on its recommendations, it remains concerned that the commitments agreed upon are implemented only partially. In this regard, the Committee notes with concern that, in Baja California, such meetings have reportedly taken place without informing the disappeared person’s relatives and representatives, thereby preventing their participation and access to information.

93.The Committee also notes that, while the replies of the State Party tend to indicate continuous communication with the relatives of the disappeared person, the available information reveals significant limitations on the relatives’ access to information concerning the search and investigation process. These include the impossibility of contacting the agent in charge of the investigation or the assigned legal assistance representative, and obstacles in obtaining information on the progress of the investigation.

94.The information received by the Committee also reveals attempts by agents in charge of the search and investigation processes to obstruct or delay those processes, including by refusing to receive complaints of disappearance, declining to take additional statements and failing to consider submitted elements relevant to the case.

95.The Committee is also concerned that, in many of the replies regarding protection measures for the relatives of disappeared persons, the State Party merely indicates that the persons have been granted the status of victim, with no detailed information on the measures adopted to ensure their participation in search and investigation processes and to protect them from threats, intimidation and reprisals, or on the way such measures are reviewed in coordination with the beneficiaries concerned.

96.In all of the cases, the Committee has provided the available information to the State Party in order to support the search and investigation processes. The Committee has also:

(a)Emphasized the need to implement a comprehensive strategy that includes an action plan and a timeline for the immediate search for the disappeared person and for the exhaustive and impartial investigation of the alleged disappearance, in full compliance with articles 9, 11, 12, 24 and 30 of the Convention, and in the light of the Guiding Principles for the Search for Disappeared Persons;

(b)Recalled the State’s obligation under article 12 (4) of the Convention to investigate such allegations and punish perpetrators; no reply has ever been received as to the process carried out in that regard.

6.Reprisals and interim measures

97.During the reporting period, the Committee received new allegations from authors of requests for urgent action regarding reprisals, usually involving threats and retaliation against the relatives of disappeared persons or their representatives, aimed at dissuading them from participating in or promoting search and investigation processes.

98.This reporting period again, the Committee was particularly concerned about allegations of threats related to cases in Burkina Faso, Ecuador and Mexico. The Committee is also concerned about allegations that family members of disappeared persons in Mexico were offered informal compensation by some State authorities to stop searching for their loved ones.

99.In 25.7 per cent of cases currently open, concerning 336 disappeared persons, the Committee has requested the States Parties concerned to take interim measures to preserve the lives and integrity of the disappeared persons and their family members and/or representatives and to allow the family members and/or representatives to pursue their search activities without being subjected to violence, intimidation or harassment, in accordance with article 24 of the Convention and principle 14 of the Guiding Principles for the Search for Disappeared Persons. The Committee has also requested the States Parties concerned to ensure that such measures are taken in consultation with the persons requiring protection and are subject to review at their request. Measures were also requested to protect pieces of evidence against destruction.

100.Of the 336 disappeared persons concerned in open urgent action requests in which the Committee has requested interim or protection measures, 259 disappeared in Mexico, 28 in Ecuador, 17 in Iraq, 14 in Honduras, 11 in Colombia, 2 in Burkina Faso, 1 in Argentina, 1 in Brazil, 1 in Cambodia, 1 in Paraguay and 1 in the Sudan.