Contents

			Page
Introduction	3
Status of ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance	3
Replies received from States	3
Bosnia and Herzegovina	3
Burkina Faso	4
Chile	4
Cuba	4
Greece	5
Guatemala	5
Iraq	5
Ireland	5
Lebanon	6
Lithuania	6
Morocco	6
Panama	7
Serbia	7
Slovakia	7
Slovenia	8
Switzerland	8
Activities of the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights	8
Activities of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances	10
Activities of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances	11
Activities of United Nations agencies and organizations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations	12
Conclusion	13
Annex
States that have signed, ratified or acceded to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance as at 25 July 2014	14

I.Introduction

1.In its resolution 68/166, on the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit to it, at its sixty-ninth session, a report on the status of the Convention and the implementation of the resolution. The present report is submitted in accordance with that request.

2.On 11 April 2014, the Secretary-General invited Member States to transmit relevant information pertaining to the implementation of the resolution. As at 25 July 2014, replies were received from the Governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Chile, Cuba, Greece, Guatemala, Iraq, Ireland, Lebanon, Lithuania, Morocco, Panama, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland. The Secretary-General also sent requests for information on the implementation of the resolution to specialized agencies, United Nations funds and programmes, and civil society organizations. The Secretary-General received submissions from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances, Amnesty International and TRIAL (Swiss Association against Impunity). Their responses are summarized in the present report.

II.Status of ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance

3.As at 25 July 2014, 93 States have signed and 43 have ratified or acceded to the Convention; 17 States have recognized the competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances to receive and consider communications from or on behalf of individuals subject to its jurisdiction claiming to be victims of a violation by the State party of provisions of the Convention (article 31); and 18 States have recognized the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications in which a State party claims that another State party is not fulfilling its obligations under the Convention (article 32). Updated information on the status of ratification of the Convention may be found in the annex to the present report.

III.Replies received from States

4.Summaries of the replies of States relating to the implementation of resolution 68/166 are provided below.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

5.The Convention entered into force for Bosnia and Herzegovina on 29 April 2012 and the State party has recognized the competence of the Committee under articles 31 and 32. An interdepartmental working group comprising representatives of relevant Ministries and institutions is in the process of preparing its report to the Committee, in accordance with article 29 of the Convention. The State party acknowledges the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the preparation of the report.

Burkina Faso

6.Burkina Faso ratified the Convention on 23 July 2009, translating the will of Burkina Faso to prevent and repress the crime of enforced disappearance and to reinforce existing laws and regulations in the area of human rights. Burkina Faso has not recognized the competence of the Committee under articles 31 and 32; however, Burkina Faso might, in the future, consider doing so after appropriate consultation. Burkina Faso notes in its response that neither the Secretary-General nor the High Commissioner for Human Rights has provided assistance at the time of ratification. Further, given that Burkina Faso is not confronted by any problems in relation to interpreting the Convention, it has not sought any assistance in this regard. However, assistance in relation to implementation is necessary. For this reason, Burkina Faso requested and obtained financial assistance from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Regional Office for West Africa for validation of the initial report under the Convention.

Chile

7.The Convention entered into force for Chile on 23 December 2010 and Chile has recognized the competence of the Committee in relation to articles 31 and 32. Chile is currently preparing its report under article 29 of the Convention. In keeping with its open invitation to all special procedures of the Human Rights Council, Chile welcomed the first visit of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in August 2012. The report on the visit was submitted to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-second session (see A/HRC/22/45/Add.1).

Cuba

8.Cuba has been a State party to the Convention since 2 February 2009. It continually evaluates the possibility of accepting the procedures in articles 31 and 32 of the Convention, which Cuba observes are optional. Cuba has not requested or received any assistance from the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights or any organ of the United Nations, any intergovernmental or non-governmental organization or the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in relation to enforced disappearances or any aspect of the application of the Convention, given that such assistance has not been necessary since the revolution of 1959.

9.Through its internal and external policies, Cuba indicates in its response that it puts into practice the respect for the physical and moral integrity of the individual, which allows it to ensure that there have been no cases of disappearances, torture, or secret detention with the exception of the illegally occupied United States naval base at Guantanamo Bay. Cuba notes that it has denounced the responsibility of the Government of the United States in relation to secret flights of prisoners in the war against terrorism, which has led to secret detention in the naval base at Guantanamo. Cuba reiterates that the arbitrary detention and torture by the Government of the United States in the illegally occupied naval base at Guantanamo continues against the will of the Cuban people and the Government of Cuba assumes no responsibility for any human rights violations that have taken place in that territory. Cuba is currently preparing its initial report to the Committee on Enforced Disappearances.

Greece

10.Greece reports that the legislative vetting of a draft law regarding the ratification of the Convention and the adaptation of national legislation to the provisions of the Convention has been completed. The draft law was, at the date of submission of the information, about to be submitted to the Parliament for discussion and eventual approval.

Guatemala

11.Guatemala refers to its submission to the previous report of the Secretary-General (A/68/210) and notes that there have been no developments since that submission.

Iraq

12.Iraq acceded to the Convention on 23 November 2010, in accordance with Law No. 17 of 2009. The Convention entered into force for Iraq on 23 December 2010. The Government has established a committee under the chairmanship of the Human Rights Ministry to prepare the initial report under article 29. The Committee comprises representatives of the Higher Judicial Council, of the General Secretariat of the Ministry Council, and other Ministries (Foreign Affairs, Justice, Health, Labour and Social Affairs, Defence, Interior and representatives of the Kurdistan region). The drafting process included consultation with other governmental institutions and several non-governmental organizations, and the report was sent to the General Secretariat of the Ministry Council for its approval and subsequent submission.

Ireland

13.Ireland signed the Convention in 2007. It is likely that legislation will be required before proceeding to ratification. Ireland is committed to ratification of the Convention as soon as competing legislative priorities permit. A number of legal and constitutional measures are already in place that protect persons against unlawful detention. Article 40.4.1 of the Constitution provides that no citizen shall be deprived of their liberty save in accordance with law. Section 15 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997 provides for an offence of false imprisonment, which addresses circumstances where a person is taken or detained, or whose personal liberty is restricted by another person without the consent of the person involved. A person guilty of false imprisonment is liable to imprisonment for up to life. Consent is deemed to be absent where the person responsible obtains the other’s consent by force or threat of force, or by deception causing the other to believe that he or she is under legal compulsion to consent. The Act also provides for a child abduction offence.

Lebanon

14.Lebanon responded that the Government is in the process of finalizing a project on the question of enforced disappearances, to which it will follow up as required.

Lithuania

15.The Parliament of Lithuania ratified the Convention with declarations on 23 April 2013. The Parliament amended the Criminal Code of Lithuania by adding article 100 on “Enforced disappearance”. The article stipulates that if a person acting as an agent of the State or persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support or acquiescence of the State have detained, abducted or in any other form deprived of liberty of a person, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, shall be punished for imprisonment for a term of 3 up to 15 years. Article 95, paragraph 9, of the Criminal Code stipulates that the statute of limitations does not apply for crimes of enforced disappearance. According to data provided by the Police Department under the Ministry of the Interior, Lithuanian police offices have neither registered any criminal acts under article 100 of the Criminal Code nor have initiated or completed any pretrial investigations for such criminal acts. Parliament, acting pursuant to articles 31 and 32 of the Convention, declared that Lithuania recognizes the competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances to receive and consider communications claiming that Lithuania has violated the provisions of the Convention. Lithuania has not addressed United Nations agencies and organizations, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances for assistance in the understanding and implementation of the obligations under the Convention.

Morocco

16.Morocco signed the Convention on 6 February 2007 and ratified it on 14 May 2013. In June 2009, Morocco received a visit of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Morocco continues to work for the prevention and condemnation of the crime of enforced disappearances. In this regard, Morocco adopted a new Constitution in 2011 which recognizes the primacy of ratified international treaties over national law. Article 23 of the Constitution expressly condemns enforced disappearances as a most serious crime and requires the most severe punishment of perpetrators of such a crime. The definition of the crime of enforced disappearance in the charter of the reform of the justice system as well as in the Penal Code conforms to the definition in the Convention.

17.The Government reaffirms its engagement with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances on the basis of open, frank and constructive dialogue, which, since 1994, has led to the clarification of the majority of cases of enforced disappearance. Morocco’s engagement with the Working Group has taken the form of meetings in Geneva between representatives of the Government and Working Group members, the visit of the Working Group mentioned above and the continuous and positive interaction between the Government and the Working Group in relation to cases of enforced disappearance. In this context, Morocco has also collaborated closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross in relation to their efforts to investigate human rights violations from independence to 1999.

18.In relation to training of security forces, the Royal Police Force has introduced the training of personnel with a view to promoting respect for human rights. In addition, the Royal Police Force has taken all relevant regulatory measures in the framework of national legislation to ensure the application of the provisions of the Convention. Morocco is currently undertaking consultations with all relevant parties to examine the feasibility of accepting the Committee’s competence under article 31.

Panama

19.Panama indicates that the Penal Code of 1982 and its amendment of 2007 recognize enforced and involuntary disappearances as a crime, incorporating the relevant elements of international instruments. Panama has also established through law the non-applicability of the statute of limitations for the prosecution of the crime of enforced disappearance. Further, Panama has created relevant institutions, such as the People’s Advocate, the Ministerial Department of Human Rights and the Permanent Commission, to monitor human rights. Panama ratified the Convention through Law No 27 of 30 March 2011. In setting out the reasons for ratification, the Law states that the Convention is the first international instrument that defines and prohibits enforced disappearance as a violation of human rights. The Convention constitutes a means of preventing enforced disappearance and combatting impunity in this regard. It makes important advances also in the area of the rights of victims and in the application of the Convention through the Committee on Enforced Disappearances.

Serbia

20.Serbia ratified the Convention in April 2011 and it has recognized the Committee’s competence under articles 31 and 32. Serbia has not sought any assistance from the Secretary-General or the High Commissioner for Human Rights during the process of ratification and has not received any assistance from the United Nations in relation to the application of the provisions of the Convention.

Slovakia

21.Slovakia signed the Convention on 26 September 2007 and the Government considered the proposal to ratify the Convention on 14 May 2014 and subsequently approved ratification of the Convention; including the acceptance of the competence of the Committee under articles 31 and 32. Before the ratification of the Convention, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of the Interior and the Prosecutor General undertook the legal analysis regarding the implementation of the Convention into the legal system of Slovakia. Following the legal analysis, the Criminal Code was amended and the new criminal offence of enforced disappearance was introduced into article 420(a) (the Amendment No. 262/2011 Coll. came into force on 1 September 2011). In addition, the Act 48/2002 Coll. concerning the residence of foreigners and conditions for administrative deportations was abrogated and Parliament approved Act No 404/2011 Coll.

Slovenia

22.Slovenia signed the Convention on 26 September 2007 but does not plan to ratify the Convention in 2014.

Switzerland

23.Switzerland joins international efforts in the area of prevention and repression of enforced disappearances. Switzerland signed the Convention on 19 January 2011 and, on 29 November 2013, the Federal Council adopted a message concerning ratification of the Convention, which was transmitted to Parliament in the summer of 2014. The main objective of the Convention is in perfect harmony with the convictions of Switzerland. Its implementation requires some legal amendments specifically in relation to the explicit prohibition of the crime of enforced disappearance and the implementation of rights to information and remedy for individuals close to victims. The consultation process concerning the ratification of the Convention allowed civil society to have input into the future implementation of the Convention. In its message to Parliament, the Federal Council proposes that Switzerland recognize the competence of the Committee under articles 31 and 32. The recognition of these competences by the largest number of States, including Switzerland, contributes to the improvement of human rights all over the world.

IV.Activities of the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

24.In paragraph 5 of resolution 68/166, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue their intensive efforts to assist States in becoming parties to the Convention, with a view to achieving universal adherence.

25.The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance has been highlighted during all treaty-related events organized by the United Nations in New York since 2007, to promote its accession, ratification and implementation. The Convention is also part of the treaty event for 2014.

26.In his 2014 report on missing persons (A/69/293), the Secretary-General referred to the Convention as a significant contribution and strongly encouraged States that had not yet become parties to the Convention to take the measures necessary to do so, to incorporate its provisions into domestic law and to ensure full implementation by relevant authorities.

27.OHCHR pursues its efforts to combat enforced disappearances and to achieve universal ratification of the Convention under the thematic priorities of “violence and insecurity” and “support for human rights mechanisms” as set out in its management plan for 2014-2017. Efforts focus on supporting States’ actions to ratify the Convention and providing training and capacity-building to States and civil society, as well as raising awareness about the Convention.

28.The High Commissioner has undertaken some specific activities over the period July 2013 to June 2014. In July 2013, the High Commissioner, in paragraph 55 (b) of her report on the situation of human rights in Yemen (A/HRC/24/34), commended the Cabinet’s decision to ratify the Convention and encouraged its swift adoption by Parliament.

29.In August 2013, the High Commissioner urged the Government of Sri Lanka to send a clear signal of its commitment to human rights by ratifying the Convention and by expeditiously inviting the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to visit Sri Lanka (see A/HRC/24/CRP.3/Rev.1).

30.In September 2013, the High Commissioner, in paragraph 95 (i) of her report on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic (A/HRC/24/59 and Corr.1), recommended that the Government ratify all pending international human rights treaties, in particular the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and Optional Protocol thereto, and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

31.From 18 to 20 November 2013, OHCHR, in cooperation with the International Organization of la Francophonie, held a training workshop in Tunisia on the Convention and its reporting procedures. Representatives of Burkina Faso, Gabon, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia participated in the workshop.

32.In January 2014, the High Commissioner recommended that the Congress in Guatemala ratify the Convention as a guarantee of non-recurrence of past violations (see A/HRC/25/19/Add.1, para. 96 (f)).

33.In Colombia, OHCHR provided technical advice to an intersectoral task force comprised of State representatives and civil society organizations, which developed draft Law 1408 currently under review and which regulates, among other matters, issues related to the search and analysis of human remains. The Law is relevant for the implementation of the Convention, which Colombia ratified in 2012.

34.In Mexico, OHCHR has been following and supporting, where appropriate, the drafting process of laws on enforced disappearance. OHCHR has also been encouraging the withdrawal of reservations to international treaties, including in relation to the scope of military jurisdiction on cases of enforced disappearance.

35.The OHCHR Regional Office for South America has encouraged civil society organizations to submit alternative reports to the Committee on Enforced Disappearances. With the assistance of OHCHR advocacy, awareness-raising, training on reporting and the dissemination of the Committee’s reporting guidelines, four Argentine civil society organizations submitted alternative reports to the Committee for its review of Argentina in November 2013.

36.The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture has awarded grants to a number of non-governmental entities providing assistance to families of victims of enforced disappearances and/or documenting cases of enforced disappearance in line with the relevant provisions of the Convention. For example, in Mexico, the Fund supports a project aiming at providing legal aid to the families of migrant victims of enforced disappearances in border areas. In Argentina, another project continues to be supported by the Fund with the aim of delivering psychological, social and legal services, including DNA tests, to the families of victims of enforced disappearances. In El Salvador, the Fund supports a project implemented in former conflict zones, which provides medical, psychological and legal services to victims of torture and enforced disappearances.

V.Activities of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances

37.During the reporting period, the Committee took several steps to promote the ratification and implementation of the Convention and has maintained its dialogue with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and with other relevant mechanisms and stakeholders.

38.On 30 August 2013, on the occasion of third International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Chairs of the Committee and the Working Group produced a video message, in which they highlighted the importance of universal ratification of the Convention and recalled some of the tools provided for victims under the Convention, such as the urgent action procedure under article 30.

39.During his opening statement to the Committee at its fifth session, the Chair of the Committee, Emmanuel Decaux, highlighted the increase of States parties to the Convention and mentioned that ratification was only the first step and that it should be followed by the implementation of the Convention in the domestic legal order. He also invited States parties that had not done so to accept the competence of the Committee under articles 31 and 32 of the Convention. During his opening statement at the sixth session, the Chair stressed that enforced disappearances were an ongoing reality worldwide and also stressed the need to continue to promote the ratification of the Convention and to support the work of the non-governmental organizations on the matter.

40.The Chair of the Committee and the Vice-Chair, Mamadou Badio Camara, participated as resource persons in a seminar on the reporting procedures to the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, held in Tunis from 18 to 20 November 2013, and organized by OHCHR and the International Organization of la Francophonie.

41.The Committee held its third meeting with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances on 7 November 2013. In a joint statement, the experts of the two mechanisms highlighted the need to continue working collectively to achieve universal adherence to the Convention and recognition of the competence of the Committee to receive individual and inter-State complaints.

42.On 14 November 2013, the Committee adopted in public session the document on the relationship of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances with civil society actors (CED/C/3). The draft version had previously been made available on the Committee’s website with a view to inviting comments from all those who had an interest. A document on the relationship of the Committee with national human rights institutions is currently under consideration and is expected to be adopted during the seventh session of the Committee, to be held in September 2014.

43.The Committee met twice with Member States at public meetings, on 7 November 2013 and 20 March 2014. The Committee invited States parties to the Convention which have not yet submitted their reports, and States which have neither signed nor ratified the Convention to do so, and encouraged all States to accept the Committee’s competence under articles 31 and 32. In addition, the Chair updated States on the work of the Committee.

44.On 11 November 2013, the Committee met in closed session with the International Committee of the Red Cross. The experts discussed issues related to the handling of information on disappeared persons and on forensic sciences. Members of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances also participated in the meeting.

45.On 14 November 2013, the Committee met with the Geneva representative of the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions, Katarina Rose, to discuss cooperation. The Chair of the Committee made a statement in which he gave an overview of the practice of the Committee with regard to the participation of national human rights institutions in the consideration of State parties’ reports. He also referred to the other procedures of the Committee and the potentially crucial role national human rights institutions could play in providing information to the Committee and in acting as a safeguard to protect victims against reprisals.

46.On 14 November 2013, the Committee met in closed session with the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Members of both mechanisms shared their experiences in dealing with cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, highlighting commonalities and differences in their working methods.

47.On 15 November 2013, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, jointly with the Committee, issued a statement on the occasion of the third meeting between the two bodies, held on 7 November 2013.1 The members of the two bodies highlighted the need to continue working collectively to achieve universal adherence to the Convention and recognition of the competence of the Committee under articles 31 and 32. Both expert bodies also exchanged information on past activities, including on country visits and the review of State parties, and agreed on continuous cooperation to coordinate their agendas, including on thematic priorities.

48.The Committee also met, on 7 November 2013 and 20 March 2014, with representatives of non-governmental organizations and associations of victims to discuss general matters relating to the promotion and implementation of the Convention. The Committee welcomed the support of non-governmental organizations in relation to encouraging States to ratify the Convention and underlined the importance of close cooperation in raising awareness.

49.On 27 May 2014, the Committee, through its secretariat, sent a reminder to States parties whose reports were overdue to encourage prompt submission, bringing to their attention the guidelines on the form and content of reports under article 29 to be submitted by States parties to the Convention (CED/C/2).

VI.Activities of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

50.On 30 September 2013, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances congratulated Spain on the ratification of the Convention and the acceptance of the competence of the Committee to receive and examine communications under articles 31 and 32 of the Convention.

51.On 24 October 2013, a press release was issued on the occasion of the address to the General Assembly by the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group and the Chair of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, in which they shared their concerns on the issues of reprisals and stressed the need to identify and develop new strategies to confront current day challenges to eliminate the crime of enforced disappearance.

52.On 8 November 2013, the Working Group held a half-day thematic discussion on enforced disappearances and economic, social and cultural rights, to which members of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances participated among other experts. The event provided a space of discussion on the relationship between enforced disappearances and economic, social and cultural rights and the impact thereon as well as an opportunity to identify challenges and best practices related to enforced disappearances and economic, social and cultural rights.

53.On 25 March 2014, the Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group participated in a discussion on enforced disappearances and military courts, organized by the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, with a presentation entitled “Military justice in the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the work of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances”.

54.The Working Group uses every opportunity to promote the ratification of the Convention, including during visits undertaken to different States and bilateral meetings held with its representatives.

VII.Activities of United Nations agencies and organizations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations

55.A number of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations have undertaken efforts at the national, regional and global levels to disseminate information on the Convention, promote understanding of it, prepare for its entry into force and assist States parties in implementing their obligations under this instrument.

56.The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities released, on 12 May 2014, the report of the joint Human Rights Assessment Mission in Ukraine of March 2014. The Mission was deployed at the request of the Government of Ukraine. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights section of the report identifies a significant number of serious human rights violations, including cases of enforced disappearances, as well as murder and physical assaults and cases of intimidation.

57.Regarding civil society, Amnesty International indicated that it produced a checklist for the effective implementation of the Convention, which to date has been translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, Indonesian and Spanish, and can be found on the Amnesty International website. In addition, Amnesty International and the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights provided briefings to the Committee in relation to its reviews of Germany and Spain.

58.The International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances, which comprises 52 non-governmental organizations, has been globally promoting its mandate to lobby actively for universal ratification and application of the Convention at the national level for the achievement of a legitimate solution in favour of victims of enforced disappearance. In March 2014, the Coalition convened its members in Switzerland to assess its challenges and milestones and plan future global activities. The Coalition has performed, through its focal points, an important number of activities to support both the Committee and the Convention. These include lobbying activities, campaigns and information drives, the provision of legal and training services as well as organizational and administrative activities to assist the Coalition and its members.

59.TRIAL (Swiss Association against Impunity), which is a member of the International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances, has supported the work of the Committee by submitting alternative reports and other documents in relation to the country reviews and follow-up to reviews, specifically in relation to France, Germany, Mexico and Spain. TRIAL has consistently referred to the Convention in relation to alternative reports it has submitted to other human rights treaty bodies and to allegations submitted to special procedures of the Human Right Council. TRIAL is also litigating more than 100 cases of enforced disappearance concerning different countries before the European Court of Human Rights and the Human Rights Committee, referring to the Convention as the highest standard in the field. TRIAL has collaborated with other civil society organizations on reports and publications related to treaty bodies. Representatives of TRIAL have also participated in a series of conferences and seminars on enforced disappearances during the reporting period.

VIII. Conclusion

60. The Secretary-General strongly encourages all States that have not yet become parties to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance to take the necessary measures to do so and to accept the competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, under articles 31 and 32 of the Convention. The Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will continue their intensive efforts to assist States in becoming parties to the Convention and in ensuring its full implementation.

Annex

States that have signed, ratified or acceded to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance as at 25 July 2014

Participant	Signature	Accession or ratification
Albania a	6 February 2007	8 November 2007
Algeria	6 February 2007
Argentina a	6 February 2007	14 December 2007
Armenia	10 April 2007	24 January 2011
Austria a	6 February 2007	7 June 2012
Azerbaijan	6 February 2007
Belgium a	6 February 2007	2 June 2011
Benin	19 March 2010
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)	6 February 2007	17 December 2008
Bosnia and Herzegovina a	6 February 2007	30 March 2012
Brazil	6 February 2007	29 November 2010
Bulgaria	24 September 2008
Burkina Faso	6 February 2007	3 December 2009
Burundi	6 February 2007
Cambodia		27 June 2013 b
Cameroon	6 February 2007
Cabo Verde	6 February 2007
Chad	6 February 2007
Chile a	6 February 2007	8 December 2009
Colombia	27 September 2007	11 July 2012
Comoros	6 February 2007
Congo	6 February 2007
Costa Rica	6 February 2007	16 February 2012
Croatia	6 February 2007
Cuba a	6 February 2007	2 February 2009
Cyprus	6 February 2007
Denmark	25 September 2007
Ecuador a	24 May 2007	20 October 2009
Finland	6 February 2007
France a	6 February 2007	23 September 2008
Gabon	25 September 2007	19 January 2011
Germany a	26 September 2007	24 September 2009
Ghana	6 February 2007
Greece	1 October 2008
Grenada	6 February 2007
Guatemala	6 February 2007
Guinea-Bissau	24 September 2013
Haiti	6 February 2007
Honduras	6 February 2007	1 April 2008
Iceland	1 October 2008
India	6 February 2007
Indonesia	27 September 2010
Iraq		23 November 2010 b
Ireland	29 March 2007
Italy	3 July 2007
Japan a	6 February 2007	23 July 2009
Kazakhstan		27 February 2009 b
Kenya	6 February 2007
Lao People’s Democratic Republic	29 September 2008
Lebanon	6 February 2007
Lesotho	22 September 2010	6 December 2013
Liechtenstein	1 October 2007
Lithuania a	6 February 2007	14 August 2013
Luxembourg	6 February 2007
Madagascar	6 February 2007
Maldives	6 February 2007
Mali a	6 February 2007	1 July 2009
Malta	6 February 2007
Mauritania	27 September 2011	3 October 2012
Mexico	6 February 2007	18 March 2008
Monaco	6 February 2007
Mongolia	6 February 2007
Montenegro a	6 February 2007	20 September 2011
Morocco	6 February 2007	14 May 2013
Mozambique	24 December 2008
Netherlands a	29 April 2008	23 March 2011
Niger	6 February 2007
Nigeria		27 July 2009 b
Norway	21 December 2007
Palau	20 September 2011
Panama	25 September 2007	24 June 2011
Paraguay	6 February 2007	3 August 2010
Peru		26 September 2012
Poland	25 June 2013
Portugal a	6 February 2007	27 January 2014
Republic of Moldova	6 February 2007
Romania	3 December 2008
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	29 March 2010
Samoa	6 February 2007	27 November 2012
Senegal	6 February 2007	11 December 2008
Serbia a	6 February 2007	18 May 2011
Sierra Leone	6 February 2007
Slovakia	26 September 2007
Slovenia	26 September 2007
Spain a	27 September 2007	24 September 2009
Swaziland	25 September 2007
Sweden	6 February 2007
Switzerland	19 January 2011
Thailand	9 January 2012
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia	6 February 2007
Togo	27 October 2010	21 July 2014
Tunisia	6 February 2007	29 June 2011
Uganda	6 February 2007
United Republic of Tanzania	29 September 2008
Uruguay a	6 February 2007	4 March 2009
Vanuatu	6 February 2007
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) a	21 October 2008
Zambia	27 September 2010	4 April 2011

aStates that have made declarations recognizing the competence of the Committee under articles 31 and/or 32 of the Convention. The full text of the declarations and reservations made by States parties can be found at http://treaties.un.org.

bAccession.