A/HRC/RES/45/3 Recalling the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, an opportunity to review the positive impact of the Convention and to discuss ways and best practices to prevent enforced disappearances and to combat impunity by, inter alia, promoting the universal ratification of the Convention, Deeply concerned in particular by the increase in enforced or involuntary disappearances in various regions of the world, including arrest, detention and abduction, when these are part of or amount to enforced disappearances, and by the growing number of reports concerning the harassment, ill-treatment and intimidation of witnesses of disappearances or relatives of disappeared persons, Recalling that the Convention sets out the right of victims to know the truth regarding the circumstances of the enforced disappearance, the progress and the result of the investigation and the fate of the disappeared person, provides for the guarantee of access to information concerning the whereabouts of the person deprived of liberty to any person with a legitimate interest in such information, and sets out obligations for the State party to take appropriate measures in this regard, Taking note with interest of the recommendation made by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances that more assistance should be provided to family members and members of civil society in order to enable them to report alleged cases of enforced disappearance to the Working Group, given that, in a large number of cases, the underreporting of cases of enforced disappearance remains a major problem owing to various reasons, including, inter alia, fear of reprisal, weak administration of justice, poverty and illiteracy, Taking note with interest also of the most recent thematic reports prepared by the Working Group, including the study on standards and public policies for an effective investigation of enforced disappearances,1 Acknowledging the fact that acts of enforced disappearance may amount to crimes against humanity as it is defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Welcoming the decision of the General Assembly to declare 30 August International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, as well as the decision of the Assembly in its resolution 65/196 of 21 December 2010 to proclaim, pursuant to the recommendation made by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 14/7 of 17 June 2010, 24 March as the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, and its call upon Member States, the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions, civil society and other relevant stakeholders to observe these days, Acknowledging that many States cooperate with the Working Group, including by responding favourably to its requests for visits to their countries, Recalling Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, on institution-building of the Council, and resolution 5/2, on the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate Holders of the Council, both of 18 June 2007, and stressing that mandate holders shall discharge their duties in accordance with those resolutions and the annexes thereto, 1. Calls upon all States that have not yet signed, ratified or acceded to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance to consider doing so as a matter of priority, and to consider as well the option provided for in articles 31 and 32 of the Convention regarding the Committee on Enforced Disappearances; 2. Calls upon States to cooperate with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and to respond favourably to its request for visits; 3. Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue their intensive efforts to assist States interested in becoming 1 2 A/HRC/45/13/Add.3.