A/HRC/10/28 page 12 39. In order to deal properly with the issue of missing persons, the various bodies and institutions involved in transitional justice should endeavour to cooperate. Ad hoc international tribunals or truth and reconciliation commissions, which have a limited lifespan, should give thought from the outset to means and methods of gathering and classifying information and evidence that could make it readily exploitable for both judicial proceedings and attempts to trace the missing. They should allow for effective and practical means of passing on their legacy once their work has ended, and in particular give families and their representatives access to their archives. Similarly, forensic activities deployed by international tribunals should be carried out not only for the purposes of collecting evidence with criminal prosecution in mind, but also to find answers for the families of missing persons. Finally, national authorities should be encouraged and supported through capacity-building initiatives in their resolve to address genuinely the issue of missing persons and thus comply with the requirements of international humanitarian law. Only then can there be hope that families will finally fulfil their right to know the fate of missing relatives and receive appropriate reparation. VIII. CONCLUSIONS 40. It is essential that additional measures be taken by States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to prevent persons from going missing, to establish the right to know, collect, protect and manage credible and reliable data on missing persons, to develop their forensic science capacities and to address impunity. 41. The issue of missing persons is particularly severe in the context of armed conflict. Measures should be taken to minimize this phenomenon, which should be addressed at the national, regional and international levels, as well as in peacebuilding processes, with reference to all justice and rule of law mechanisms, including the judiciary, parliamentary commissions and truth-seeking mechanisms, on the basis of transparency, accountability and public involvement and participation. 42. The right of families to know the fate of missing persons should be respected at all times. Such families, victims groups and civil society should be involved in mechanisms or institutions aiming at solving issues related to missing persons. 43. Support should be provided for forensic sciences as a component in investigations of human rights violations. Access to independent forensic investigations of violations of human rights and humanitarian law should also be improved. Appropriate mechanisms should be created to continue the recovery and identification process beyond the mandate of judicial and non-judicial mechanisms. 44. Contacts between independent forensic experts and judges, prosecutors and lawyers should be enhanced. Technical assistance and training of forensic experts in States where this expertise is not available or not developed sufficiently should be increased. 45. The collection, protection and management of credible and reliable data on missing persons, in accordance with international and national standards, should be encouraged, and technical assistance and training should be made available as needed. -----