A/HRC/14/42 drafting legislation on the issue. The model law offers a framework legislation aiming to help national authorities to bring legislation into conformity with the requirements of international law. III. Measures to prevent persons from going missing 18. Under both international humanitarian law and human rights law, States are obliged to take measures to prevent persons from going missing. In its resolution 61/155 of 14 February 2007, the General Assembly called upon States that were parties to an armed conflict to take all appropriate measures to prevent persons from going missing in connection with armed conflicts and account for persons reported missing as a result of such a situation. Such measures, especially those of a legislative and institutional nature, must preferably be adopted in peacetime. 19. National authorities should establish strict lines of command within armed forces, security forces and armed groups so as to ensure effective supervision. 20. Proper identification of members of armed forces or armed groups is a key means of preventing people from becoming missing in armed conflict. Personal records, identity cards and identity discs are the only secure means of identification. Measures should be taken to ensure that these means of identification are mandatory and properly used since they can — in particular identity discs — help to establish the status of the persons who fall into the hands of the adverse party and the identity of those who have been seriously wounded or killed. The issue of identification also involves other populations at risk such as isolated populations, civilians in conflict zone, displaced persons, the elderly and children.7 Furthermore, it is recommended that the personal data of members of armed forces or armed groups and persons at risk, including in particular unaccompanied children, elderly and disabled persons be properly registered, which may assist in a later identification of mortal remains. 21. National authorities should register deaths and issue the appropriate certificates. Moreover, an information bureau8 and graves registration service,9 as provided for under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, should be set up. More particularly, national information bureaux should be tasked to collect and forward information (documents and objects) on individuals protected by international humanitarian law (principally prisoners of war and civilian internees) who have fallen into enemy hands. Registration of such persons is fully in keeping with the objectives of humanitarian law, one of which is to protect persons not or no longer taking part in hostilities. By setting up an information bureau in accordance with the provisions of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, a party to an armed conflict provides itself with a means of obtaining information about individuals who have gone missing 7 8 9 6 Missing”. Available from http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/model-law-missing300908/$File/Model%20law.missing-0209_eng%20.pdf. The importance of identification of children is aptly emphasized in the report of the Secretary-General on missing persons of 18 August 2008 (A/63/299). In particular, it states that “Means of personal identification for minors is of importance in terms of prevention, as they are particularly vulnerable in time of conflict, notably to forced recruitment. State authorities must, in that regard, take effective measures to provide means of personal identification to minors with a view to preventing their disappearance” (para. 16). See Geneva Convention I, arts. 16, 17, para. 4; Geneva Convention II, arts. 19, para. 2, and 20; Geneva Convention III, arts. 120–123, Geneva Convention IV, arts. 130, 136–138; Additional Protocol I, art. 33, para. 3; and the Hague Regulations of 1907, art. 14. See Geneva Convention I, art. 17, para. 3; Geneva Convention III, art. 120, para. 6; Geneva Convention IV, art. 130, para. 3. GE.10-12433