A/HRC/27/49 113. In spite of that large number of cases, underreporting remains a major problem, and is due to various reasons, including fear of reprisals, weak administration of justice, ineffectual reporting channels, institutionalized systems of impunity, poverty, illiteracy, language barriers, a practice of silence and restrictions on the work of civil society. More assistance should be provided to family members and members of civil society to enable them to report cases to the Working Group. 114. The Working Group is grateful for the cooperation received from a number of States; such cooperation is indispensable for discovering the fate or whereabouts of disappeared persons around the globe. Nevertheless, the Working Group remains concerned that, of the 88 States with outstanding cases, some have never replied to the Working Group and some provide responses that do not contain relevant information. The Working Group urges all States to fulfil their obligations under the Declaration and the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. 115. The Working Group is concerned that many communications from Governments are not translated in time, thus delaying their consideration by the Working Group and limiting its humanitarian mandate. 116. The Working Group is particularly concerned about the extent and scale of enforced disappearances in certain countries; these include the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Syrian Arab Republic. The Working Group welcomes the work of the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic and the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which have revealed the nature of crime against humanity of enforced disappearances in those countries. In both cases, the Working Group has called for action by the highest United Nations bodies to tackle the issue of enforced disappearance and has requested the Security Council to consider referring those matters to the International Criminal Court. 117. During the reporting period, the Working Group observed a pattern of shortterm enforced disappearances being used in a number of countries, including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The Working Group expresses its deep concern at the phenomenon. It stresses that there is no time limit, no matter how short, for an enforced disappearance to occur and that accurate information on the detention of any person deprived of liberty and their place of detention shall be made promptly available to their family members. 118. The Working Group is also concerned about the deteriorating situation in the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Ukraine. It reiterates article 7 of the Declaration, which provides that no circumstances whatsoever, whether a threat of war, a state of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked to justify enforced disappearances. 119. The Working Group continues to note a pattern of threats, intimidation and reprisals against victims of enforced disappearance, including family members, witnesses and human rights defenders working on such cases. It calls upon States to take specific measures to prevent such acts, protect those working on cases of enforced disappearances and punish the perpetrators, in accordance with article 13, paragraphs 1 and 3, of the Declaration. The Working Group supports the establishment of a United Nations-wide senior focal point to engage with all stakeholders, in particular Member States, to promote the prevention of, protection against and accountability for reprisals and intimidation related to cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms. 120. Country visits are an integral part of the mandate fulfilled the Working Group. They allow the Working Group to highlight country practices in addressing enforced 24