A/HRC/28/71 50. The Special Rapporteur stands ready to brief interested and concerned Member States in this regard. 5. International conference on missing persons 51. In order to maintain the momentum and visibility achieved by the latest General Assembly resolution and action by the Security Council, the Special Rapporteur encourages Member States to consider sponsoring an international conference on the issue of missing persons in general, which would include the issue of international abductions and enforced disappearances carried out by agents of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the subject of separated families. The Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea could be invited to attend this conference to give it another opportunity to engage meaningfully on the issue. 52. The Special Rapporteur suggests that the event take place on the margins of a future General Assembly session, preferably during the high-level segment, with the participation of, inter alia, victims and relatives of abductees and of the disappeared, Member States concerned by the issue, senior United Nations officials, relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms and representatives of civil society, including members of nongovernmental organizations and academics focusing on the issue. The objective of this conference would be to produce a common declaration of concern as well as an actionoriented framework for information-sharing, coordination of investigative efforts and engagement with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. 6. Active role of an international civil society coalition 53. The important role of civil society in articulating concerns and mobilizing attention on the issue of abductions, enforced disappearances and related matters cannot be emphasized enough. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur welcomes the dedicated work undertaken by families of victims and non-governmental organizations from all countries concerned by the issue, in many regions of the world. He strongly encourages them to actively join forces in a common campaign, both domestically and internationally, to seek truth and justice and decisively bring closure to this tragedy. 54. Families of victims and non-governmental organizations have a great deal of information and experience to share with each other, and therefore learn from each other, on how to cope with, and plan a strategy on, the issue. The Special Rapporteur is mindful that in a number of countries families of victims and non-governmental organizations are divided on how to approach the issue. Some have adopted a conservative approach, aligning themselves with the position of their Government. Others favour a more proactive approach on the issue. While the Special Rapporteur respects both those positions, he nevertheless wishes to stress the utmost importance of all civil society actors speaking with one voice, with a view to amplifying their message. This will have a ricochet effect in mobilizing Member States and other stakeholders to take action on the issue. 55. In this process, it is important to include regional coalitions and international organizations working on the issue of abductions, enforced disappearances and related matters, which can contribute their expertise and years of experience in dealing with the issue. 56. Mindful of the specificities of each region, the Special Rapporteur thinks that nongovernmental organizations from countries in other regions that have been dealing with disappearance issues could be consulted in this endeavour. They could also share their own experiences and strategies, and inspire and offer solidarity to one another. 57. In this endeavour, the field-based structure of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights can hopefully play a key role in facilitating exchanges 12