A/HRC/13/31 653. The Working Group also reminds States of its general comment referring to article 19 of the Declaration, which states that “in addition to the punishment of the perpetrators and the rights to monetary compensation, the right to obtain redress for acts of enforced disappearance under article 19 of the Declaration also includes the ‘means for as complete a rehabilitation as possible’”. 654. The Working Group notes a pattern of threats, intimidation and reprisals against victims of enforced disappearances, including family members, witnesses and human rights defenders working on such cases and calls upon States to take specific measures to prevent such acts, punish the perpetrators and protect those working on enforced disappearances. 655. As it is men who are usually the direct victims of enforced disappearances, it is the wives, mothers and children who often bear the consequences of the enforced disappearances and who are the persons most affected. The Working Group calls upon States to provide sufficient support to those affected by enforced disappearances. For this reason, the Working Group intends to explore and study the effect of enforced disappearances on women and children. 656. Country visits are an integral part of the fulfilment of the Working Group’s mandate, as they allow the Working Group to highlight country practices in addressing enforced disappearances, to assist States in reducing obstacles to the implementation of the Declaration, and to ensure access to those family members who might not be able to attend the Working Group’s sessions in Geneva. The Working Group would like to thank the Governments that have extended invitations to visit their countries or have hosted the Working Group’s sessions. However, because informal confirmations and even standing invitations are not sufficient, the Working Group invites all the Governments that received a request by the Working Group for a visit to respond with specific dates as soon as possible. 657. The Working Group notes with satisfaction that, as of November 2009, 81 States have signed and 16 States have ratified the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance. It reiterates that the Convention’s entry into force will help strengthen the capacities of States to reduce the number of disappearances. The Convention will bolster the hopes and the demands for justice and truth by victims and their families. The Working Group once again calls upon Governments that have not signed and/or ratified the Convention to do so as soon as possible so that the Convention can enter into force in the near future. It also calls upon States, when ratifying the Convention, to accept the competence of the Committee to receive individual cases, under article 31, and inter-State complaints under article 32 of the Convention. 658. Noting that the Working Group celebrates its thirtieth anniversary in 2010, it believes that the International Day of the Disappeared, traditionally observed by civil society on 30 August, ought to be commemorated by the United Nations and by all people around the world. Therefore the Working Group calls upon the United Nations to proclaim 30 August United Nations International Day of the Disappeared, with a view to the eradication of enforced disappearances. 659. In the past two years, the Working Group has more than doubled its volume of work both in terms of number of cases processed and the number of communications sent to the Governments while having its staff reduced in 2009. Should the Working Group want to keep its present level of capacity to handle cases, not increase the small backlog that it presently has, continue the fruitful dialogue with Governments, and deal with a specific range of issues like women and children, it will clearly need more support. The Working Group calls upon the United Nations to secure additional appropriate resources and an increase in the level of staffing. GE.09-17704 135