A/HRC/45/13 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, pursuant to its resolution 20 (XXXVI). The mandate was most recently extended by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 36/6. 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 of the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (General Assembly resolution 47/133), the Working Group was entrusted with monitoring 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 contains information on the activities of and communications and cases examined by the Working Group from 23 May 2019 to 15 May 2020. 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 section III. 5. Since its inception, the Working Group has transmitted a total of 58,606 cases to 109 States. The number of cases under active consideration that have not yet been clarified, closed or discontinued stands at 46,271 in a total of 92 States. During the reporting period, 205 cases were clarified. II. Activities of the Working Group from 23 May 2019 to 15 May 2020 A. Activities 6. During the period under review, the Working Group held two sessions: its 119th session, from 16 to 20 September 2019 (see A/HRC/WGEID/119/1), and its 120th session, from 10 to 14 February 2020 (see A/HRC/WGEID/120/1). Due to the travel restrictions imposed on account of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Working Group decided to meet remotely by videoconference, from 11 to 15 May 2020, to partially fulfil the programme of activities of its 121st session (see A/HRC/WGEID/121/1). The reports on the sessions should be considered as complementary to the present report. 7. During the 119th session, Luciano Hazan was selected Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group and Tae-Ung Baik was confirmed as Vice-Chair. 8. Between 18 and 20 June 2019, Bernard Duhaime represented the Working Group at the twenty-sixth annual meeting of the special procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council. 9. On 11 September 2019, Mr. Duhaime presented the annual report for the period from 3 May 2018 to 22 May 2019, and its addenda, to the Human Rights Council at its forty-second session, and participated in the interactive dialogue with States. 10. On 17 October 2019, the Chair-Rapporteur addressed the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session and participated in the interactive dialogue with Member States. 11. On 15 February 2020, to mark the launch of its fortieth anniversary campaign, the Working Group hosted a public event during which it presented new audiovisual materials1 1 See https://vimeo.com/showcase/6609050. 3