A/HRC/30/38 I. Introduction 1. The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances was the first United Nations human rights thematic mechanism to be established with a universal mandate, by the Commission on Human Rights resolution 20 (XXXVI) of 29 February 1980. The mandate was most recently extended by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 27/1 of 25 September 2014. 2. The primary task of the Working Group is to assist families in determining the fate or whereabouts of their family members who are reportedly disappeared. In that humanitarian capacity, the Working Group serves as a channel of communication between family members of victims of enforced disappearance and other sources reporting cases of disappearances, and the Governments concerned. 3. Following the adoption by the General Assembly of its resolution 47/133 and of the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (hereinafter “the Declaration”), the Working Group was entrusted to monitor the progress of States in fulfilling their obligations derived from the Declaration. The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 7/12, encouraged the Working Group to provide assistance in the implementation by States of the Declaration and of existing international rules. 4. The present report reflects the activities of and communications and cases examined by the Working Group covering the period from 17 May 2014 to 15 May 2015. A summary of the decisions on individual cases taken by the Working Group and communications transmitted to the States concerned during the reporting period is presented in a table (see sect. III). 5. Since its inception, the Working Group has transmitted a total of 54,557 cases to 105 States. The number of cases under active consideration that have not yet been clarified, closed or discontinued stands at 43,563 in a total of 88 States. During the reporting period, 65 cases were clarified. 6. The Working Group notes with appreciation that there has been an improvement in speed of the translation of the replies received from Governments concerning cases. 7. In spite of some improvements to the content and layout of the English web page of the Working Group’s website, the Working Group regrets that the majority of the content on the website is in English only. The Working Group once again calls on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide adequate resources to bring it up to date and render it more accessible. 8. The Working Group is grateful to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly for the recognition, through the granting of an additional post under the regular budget, of its need to receive additional support, given its huge workload and variety of activities. It is also thankful for the continuous support, including through voluntary contributions, provided by donor States, notably Argentina, France and Japan. II. Activities of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances: 17 May 2014 to 15 May 2015 A. Activities 9. During the period under review, the Working Group held three sessions: the 104th session, from 15 to 19 September 2014; the 105th session, from 2 to 6 March 2015; and the 3