BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 7.
The issue of missing persons is not a matter of the past, but is a
matter of human rights, dignity, and responsibility toward the
future, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Minister of Human Rights and
Refugees, Sevlid Hurtić, said, Trend‘s correspondent reports from the event.
He made the remarks at the 4th International Conference on the
theme “Strengthening trust and developing effective mechanisms to
resolve the issue of missing persons” held within the framework of
the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons on Wednesday.
He noted that the right of families to learn the fate of their
missing loved ones must be one of the fundamental principles of our
humanitarian work.
“This right should not depend on political circumstances, the
passage of time, interstate borders, or individual interests. It
has no statute of limitations. There is no date at which a family
should stop searching. No political circumstance can replace the
truth to which a person has a right. Therefore, the issue of
missing persons must transcend day-to-day politics, discrimination,
and any political interests. When searching for a missing person,
we are looking not for ‘ours’ or ‘theirs’, but for a human
being.
Our experience has demonstrated the vital importance of
inter-institutional cooperation, international support, forensic
methods, DNA analysis, information sharing, and, above all, the
determination to continue the search even when it appears no traces
remain. However, technology alone is not enough,” he explained.
The minister emphasized that there can be no full cooperation
without trust.
“Without cooperation, there is no information sharing. Without
information, no new leads are found. And in the absence of new
leads, families will continue to remain in a state of uncertainty,”
he added.
The 4th International Conference on the theme “Strengthening
trust and developing effective mechanisms to resolve the issue of
missing persons”, organized by the State Commission on Prisoners of
War, Hostages and Missing Persons, is being held in Gulustan Palace
within the framework of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons.
The event is attended by former heads of state and government,
high-ranking representatives of international organizations and
foreign countries, heads of agencies dealing with missing persons,
experts, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and
human rights specialists, as well as ambassadors and military
attachés of foreign countries accredited in Azerbaijan and other
officials.
One of the main directions of this year’s discussions is the
formation and strengthening of trust between the parties.
The purpose of the conference is not to be satisfied with
discussions, but to contribute to the formation of practical and
sustainable mechanisms that strengthen trust and cooperation, serve
to ensure families’ right to know the truth, facilitate information
exchange, and expand the application of modern forensic, DNA and
technological capabilities. The event will continue until October
10.
