Baku:A panel session titled "Addressing the Issue of Missing Persons in Peace Processes: Humanitarian Cooperation and Confidence-Building Measures" was a key event at the 4th International Conference of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons.
According to Azeri-Press news agency, former Montenegrin Defense Minister Milica Ðurišic emphasized that, despite the passage of time since the Balkan wars of the early 1990s, unresolved issues regarding missing persons continue to affect families deeply. She stressed that addressing the fate of missing persons should be an integral component of peace processes.
Ugur Bayraktutan from the Türkiye-Azerbaijan Interparliamentary Friendship Group highlighted the importance of developing scientific and institutional capacities in Azerbaijan for addressing the issue. He noted that efforts should not be confined to state institutions but should involve cooperation among judicial authorities, forensic experts, civil society, families, and other relevant sectors.
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Commissioner for Human Rights, reported that approximately 113,000 individuals, including children, military personnel, and civilians, are registered as missing in Ukraine. He pointed out that the actual number is likely higher due to limited access to temporarily occupied territories. Lubinets also mentioned that about 1.6 million Ukrainian children are currently in these areas, with at least 20,610 believed to have been deported or forcibly transferred by Russia since the full-scale invasion began.
Muhammad Sohail Sajid, a Supreme Court advocate from Pakistan, noted that Azerbaijan has developed a technical infrastructure to address missing persons, utilizing DNA capabilities effectively. He underscored the importance of accurate information exchange to accelerate the search process.
The speakers collectively underscored the significance of information sharing, institutional cooperation, modern forensic techniques, and the active involvement of families in resolving cases of missing persons.