A/HRC/36/39
11.
The Working Group continues its practice of holding one session per year outside
Geneva. It held its 111th session in Seoul. The Working Group is grateful to the
Government of the Republic of Korea for the opportunity.
12.
On 17 February 2017, the Vice-Chair participated in a high-level panel of the
General Assembly on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
13.
On 23 and 24 March 2017, Mr. Dulitzky carried out a technical visit to Chile to
follow up on the implementation of the recommendations made by the Working Group after
its visit to Chile in 2012.
14.
During the reporting period, all the members of the Working Group carried out a
number of activities on the issue of enforced disappearances, including by participating in
conferences, consultations, seminars, training events, workshops and lectures, organized by
Governments and civil society organizations.
15.
The Working Group is thankful for the continuous support, including through
voluntary contributions, provided by donor States, notably Argentina, France, Japan and the
Republic of Korea.
B.
Meetings
16.
During the period under review, representatives of the Governments of Iraq (111th),
Japan (110th, 111th and 112th), Peru (110th), Portugal (112th) and the Republic of Korea
(111th) attended the sessions of the Working Group. A number of informal meetings were
also held with representatives of other States. The Working Group expresses its
appreciation to those Governments for the meetings and emphasizes the importance of
cooperation and dialogue.
C.
Communications
17.
During the reporting period, the Working Group transmitted 1,094 new cases of
enforced disappearance to 36 States.
18.
The Working Group transmitted 260 of the above-mentioned cases under the urgent
action procedure1 to 23 States.
19.
The Working Group clarified 130 cases in Argentina (1), Bahrain (3), Bangladesh
(1), Egypt (88), Jordan (1), Kuwait (1), the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (3), Lebanon
(1), Libya (1), Mexico (3), Nigeria (1), the State of Palestine (1), Pakistan (8), the Sudan
(5), Turkey (5), Ukraine (1) and the United Arab Emirates (6). Of the 130 cases, 52 were
clarified on the basis of information provided by the Governments and 78 on the basis of
information provided by the sources.
20.
The Working Group transmitted 21 prompt intervention communications
addressing allegations of harassment of and/or threats to human rights defenders and
relatives of disappeared persons in Algeria (2), Burundi (1), Egypt (1), El Salvador (1),
Ethiopia (2), India (3), Iran (Islamic Republic of) (3), Kenya (1), Mexico (3), Morocco (1),
South Sudan (1) and Sri Lanka (2).
21.
It transmitted 17 urgent appeals concerning persons who had been arrested, detained,
abducted or otherwise deprived of their liberty or who had been forcibly disappeared or
were at risk of disappearance in Bangladesh (1), Chad (1), China (4), Iran (Islamic Republic
of) (2), Italy (1), the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (1), Pakistan (1), the Sudan (3),
Thailand (1), Turkey (1) and the United Arab Emirates (1).
1
4
The urgent action procedure is used in cases of enforced disappearances that have occurred within
three months prior to the receipt of a report by the Working Group.
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