A/HRC/42/40 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 3 May 2018 to 22 May 2019. 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 57,891 cases to 108 States. The number of cases under active consideration that have not yet been clarified, closed or discontinued stands at 45,811 in a total of 92 States. During the reporting period, 406 cases were clarified. II. Activities of the Working Group from 3 May 2018 to 22 May 2019 A. Activities 6. During the period under review, the Working Group held three sessions: the 116th session, from 10 to 14 September 2018 (A/HRC/WGEID/116/1); the 117th session, from 11 to 15 February 2019 (A/HRC/WGEID/117/1); and the 118th session, from 13 to 22 May 2019 (A/HRC/WGEID/118/1). The reports on the sessions should be considered complements to the present report. 7. Between 4 and 8 June 2018, Houria Es-Slami represented the Working Group during the twenty-sixth annual meeting of the special procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council. 8. On 10 September 2018, the Working Group held an expert meeting on standards and public policies for effective investigation of enforced disappearances, on the margins of its 116th session. 9. On 12 September 2018, the Chair-Rapporteur presented the annual report for the period from 18 May 2017 to 2 May 2018, and its addenda, to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-ninth session, and participated in the interactive dialogue with States. 10. During the 116th session, Bernard Duhaime was confirmed as Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group and Tae-Ung Baik as Vice-Chair. 11. On 18 October 2018, the Chair-Rapporteur addressed the General Assembly at its seventy-third session and participated in the interactive dialogue with Member States. 12. On 3 December 2018, the Working Group sent a letter to the International Law Commission commending its members for their work on the adoption of the draft articles 3