A/HRC/36/39 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 resolution 20 (XXXVI). The mandate was most recently extended by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 27/1. 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 19 May 2016 to 17 May 2017. 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 a table (see section III). 5. Since its inception, the Working Group has transmitted a total of 56,363 cases to 112 States. The number of cases under active consideration that have not yet been clarified, closed or discontinued stands at 45,120 in a total of 91 States. During the reporting period, 130 cases were clarified. II. Activities of the Working Group from 19 May 2016 to 17 May 2017 A. Activities 6. During the period under review, the Working Group held three sessions: its 110th session, from 19 to 23 September 2016 (see A/HRC/WGEID/110/1); its 111th session, from 6 to 10 February 2017 (see A/HRC/WGEID/111/1); and its 112th session, from 8 to 17 May 2017 (see A/HRC/WGEID/112/1). The reports on the sessions should be considered complements to the present report. 7. During the 110th session, Houria Es Slami was confirmed as Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group and Bernard Duhaime as Vice-Chair. Both had been appointed during the 107th session. Ariel Dulitzky completed his term as member of the Working Group on 30 April 2017. A new member, Luciano Hazan, was appointed in March 2016 to replace Mr. Dulitzky as of 1 May 2017. 8. On 15 September 2016, the Chair-Rapporteur presented the report of the Working Group covering the period from 16 May 2015 to 18 May 2016, and its addenda, to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-third session, and participated in the interactive dialogue with States. 9. Between 6 and 10 June 2016, the Vice-Chair represented the Working Group during the twenty-third annual meeting of the special procedure mandate holders of the Human Rights Council. 10. On 24 October 2016, the Chair-Rapporteur addressed the General Assembly at its seventy-first session and participated in the interactive dialogue with Member States. 3