Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

Established by resolution 20 (XXXVI) of 29 February 1980 of the Commission on Human Rights, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances was the first United Nations human rights thematic mechanism to be established with a global mandate.

This report, submitted in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, reflects communications and cases examined by the Working Group during its sessions in 2007. The total number of cases transmitted by the Working Group to Governments since the Working Group’s inception is 51,763. The number of cases under active consideration that have not yet been clarified or discontinued stands at 41,257 and concerns 78 States. The Working Group has been able to clarify 2,702 cases over the past five years.

During the period under review, the Working Group transmitted 629 new cases of enforced disappearances to the Governments of Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, China, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Honduras, India, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Lebanon, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand and United Arab Emirates. Of the newly reported cases, 84 allegedly occurred in 2007.

A summary of activities during the last year is presented in a table for each country, with a detailed text description of the areas of activity.

During the reporting period from November 2006 to November 2007 the Working Group conducted country visits to Honduras and El Salvador. The reports of the country visits are contained in addenda to this report.

I. INTRODUCTION

          A.      The mandate 

          B.      Methods of work 

          C.      The present report 

II.   ACTIVITIES OF THE WORKING GROUP ON ENFORCED OR INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCES:  NOVEMBER 2006 TO NOVEMBER 2007 

          A.      Meetings

          B.      Communications

          C.      Country visits 

          D.      Statements and general comments 

III.   INFORMATION CONCERNING ENFORCED OR INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCES IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES REVIEWED BY THE WORKING GROUP 

          Afghanistan 

          Algeria 

          Angola 

          Argentina

          Bahrain 

          Bangladesh 

          Belarus

          Bhutan 

          Bolivia 

          Brazil

          Burundi 

          Cambodia

          Cameroon 

          Chad 

          Chile 

          China 

          Colombia 

          Congo 

          Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 

          Democratic Republic of Congo 

          Dominican Republic 

          Ecuador 

          Egypt 

          El Salvador 

          Equatorial Guinea 

          Eritrea 

          Ethiopia 

          France 

          Gambia 

          Greece 

          Guatemala 

          Guinea 

          Haiti 

          Honduras 

          India 

          Indonesia 

          Iran (Islamic Republic of) 

          Iraq 

          Israel 

          Japan 

          Jordan 

          Kuwait

          Lebanon 

          Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 

          Mauritania 

          Mexico 

          Montenegro 

          Morocco 

          Mozambique

          Myanmar 

          Namibia 

          Nepal 

          Nicaragua 

          Nigeria 

          Pakistan 

          Peru 

          Philippines 

          Russian Federation 

          Rwanda

          Saudi Arabia 

          Serbia 

          Seychelles 

          Spain

          Sri Lanka

          Sudan 

          Syrian Arab Republic 

          Tajikistan 

          Thailand 

          Timor-Leste 

          Togo 

          Turkey 

          Uganda 

          Ukraine 

          United Arab Emirates 

          United States of America 

          Uruguay 

          Uzbekistan 

          Venezuela

          Yemen 

          Zimbabwe 

          Palestinian Authority 

IV.   AREAS OF CONCERN, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

V.   ADOPTION OF THE REPORT

ANNEXES

I.   Revised methods of work of the Working Group

II.   Decisions on individual cases taken by the Working Group during 2007 

III.   Statistical summary: cases of enforced or involuntary disappearance
          reported to the Working Group between 1980 and 2007

IV.   Graphs showing the development of disappearances in countries with
          more than 100 transmitted cases during the period 1964-2007 

V.   Lists of names of newly reported cases, from countries where there were
          more than 10 newly transmitted cases during the last year