A/HRC/38/44/Add.1 including those who went missing after surrendering to ISF or affiliated forces. The Special Rapporteur wishes to stress that all families of the disappeared should be provided with certificates of absence. Responsibility for crimes committed by ISIL members should not be extended to their families, who should not be deprived of minimum survival requirements. A certificate of absence is often the first step towards accessing essential services. D. Management of mass graves51 77. As a result of the mass killings that Iraq experienced during Saddam Hussein’s regime, the sectarian violence that followed, and the widespread violence committed by ISIL, the bodies of an estimated 1 million persons are buried in hundreds of mass graves across the country. Some 114 mass graves, linked to the most recent conflict, have been discovered so far in areas previously under the control of ISIL, containing the bodies of an unknown number of individuals. Exhumations have been carried out at some sites, including for the mass killing of 1,700 air force cadets at Camp Speicher in Salah ad Din province in June 2014, but many other sites remain to be examined. The identification, protection and adequate management of all mass grave sites is essential for truth, justice and reconciliation efforts. 78. The excavation and identification of victims, including through DNA analysis, is being carried out by the Medico-Legal Institute, the Mass Grave Department, the Martyrs Foundation, and the Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs in Kurdistan, with the support of, among others, the International Commission on Missing Persons and ICRC. Their commitment and professionalism, despite vast challenges, are admirable. Many mass grave sites lack the necessary protection, leaving them exposed to damage by the elements and are subject to uncontrolled excavations. There are limited adequate storage systems and facilities. Staff lack basic equipment, such as gloves and bleach. Insufficient DNA testing facilities slow down the identification of bodies. 79. Professionals of the Medico-Legal Institute calculate that, at the current pace, it will take over 800 years to complete their task. Families cannot wait that long for identification of their missing relatives, and neither can accountability for violations committed. Supporting the Iraqi institutions responsible for the mass graves must therefore be an absolute priority for Iraq and the international community. Additional training, equipment and funds, including greater capacities for DNA testing, tracing and storage, are required to accelerate and strengthen the processes of discovery, exhumation and identification. VII. Conclusions and recommendations A. Conclusions 80. For decades the people of Iraq have experienced horrendous violations of the right to life, which have been met with impunity. The Government of Iraq is now in a position to resolutely turn its back on previous practices, and initiate a truly protective and participatory transitional justice process that will put an end to impunity for crimes committed against all communities. This requires solid investigations into all allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. While there is no doubt that ISIL and its fighters have perpetrated the most serious crimes, for which they must be held to account, other parties to the conflict must equally face justice for their crimes. These include Government and affiliated forces as well as Coalition Forces. 81. The people of Iraq, the victims and survivors of the conflict, deserve a legal framework and a judicial response that properly reflect the nature of the crimes committed, which are on par with atrocity crimes investigated and tried in other parts 51 The Government provided additional information (A/HRC/38/44/Add.4, sects. 5 and 9). 17