The purpose of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (UNWGEID) is to ensure that cases of enforced disappearances are investigated by domestic authorities. Cases of enforced disappearances are brought to the attention of the Working Group by family members of the disappeared people.

The UN Human Rights Commission established the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances in 1980.

The UNWGEID accepts cases from any country in the word. Further it is not necessary to exhaust domestic procedures before submitting the case to the Group. Cases of disappearances can be submitted by relatives of disappeared themselves or by organisations acting on their behalf. Whoever reports the case to the Group should be able to maintain communication with the group in a prompt manner. All procedures of the UNWGEID are free of charge.

The UNWGEID is a channel of communication between families and the governments concerned, so the disappearance can be investigated and clarified by the authorities in this country. The ultimate goal of the investigation is to clarify the whereabouts of the disappeared persons.

The procedures put in place are as follows:

• Reporting a disappearance can be done by an Urgent Appeal: The UNWGEID transmits directly (within 1 or 2 days after receipt) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country concerned cases that occurred within the 3 months preceding receipt of the report.
• Cases of intimidation of relatives of disappeared people, human right defenders or advocates working on cases of disappearance, or obstacles to the implementation of the 1992 Declaration can be both reported through Prompt Intervention for reprisals and General Allegations respectively.
• Country Visits are performed by the Working Group to assess the overall situation of disappearances. These visits happen when the Working group gets previous consent given by the relevant government. The working group release a report on such a visit
• The UNWGEID publishes Annual Reports to the Human Rights Council on its activities, informing also on its communications with governments and NGOs, its missions, all cases of disappearance received during the year, and the implementation of the 1992 Declaration.

It is also important to know what the UN Working Group doesn’t do:

• Directly investigate on individual cases, judge, sanction, or carry out exhumations.
• Directly adopt measures of protection against reprisals, establish individual or State responsibilities in cases of enforced disappearances, or grant just satisfaction or forms or reparation.
• Deal with disappearances perpetrated by non-State actors, like rebel groups.

Communicating with the UNWGEID is simple and straight forward; a case of disappearance should always be reported in writing, filling in this form and sending it to:

Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland

Communications can be written in any of the UN languages.