There can be no peace where there are still missing persons and families in the torment of uncertainty. There can be no peace where the right to the truth is denied. There can be no peace where impunity prevails. There can be no peace while the victims of enforced disappearances do not receive full reparations. There can be no peace as long as concrete actions are not taken to prevent the repetition of one of the cruelest violations of human rights.
At the same time, in order to advance towards peace, we need to incorporate the causes and the voices of those affected by violence. In this case: the victims of enforced disappearance and the families searching for their loved ones. Years of observation and dialogue allow us to affirm that groups of searchers make valuable contributions to peacebuilding, both conceptually and strategically.
Based on these premises, ICIP participated, as an institution for the promotion of peace, in the first World Congress on Enforced Disappearances, held in Geneva on 15-16 January. The conference brought together more than 700 people from every continent and many more followed the sessions online. Attendees included representatives of states and of intergovernmental institutions, of leading NGOs and human rights institutions, and the world’s most recognized experts in this field. But above all, there were dozens and dozens of searchers, especially mothers, daughters, partners, grandmothers and sisters of the hundreds of thousands of missing persons that still exist around the world. And this presence in a world of absences is what made this Congress more compelling and meaningful.
In a global context that is increasingly hostile to the defense of human rights, dominated by hate speech, distrust and the apparent triumph of individualism, all these women with their diverse languages, religions and cultures, but with a shared commitment to the right to truth and justice, provided us with inspirational examples of hope and dignity.
Their testimonies must compel us to put the issue of enforced disappearances on the international agenda – and the Geneva Congress was an excellent initiative in this respect. They should also inspire us to think about what we can do ourselves. Here are four ideas that have emerged since we returned from Geneva:
- Enforced disappearances have profound gender dimensions. This is an issue that is still quite unexplored and needs to be made more visible. In the framework of the Congress, ICIP facilitated a panel discussion on the impact of disappearances on women and will continue to work with this perspective.
- We live in a country that has not resolved the issue of enforced disappearances. We must continue to bear this in mind and highlight the importance of the work of institutions and groups that recover and preserve historical memory. Furthermore, the issue of disappearances is not only a thing of the past in our country. We see how they proliferate in migratory contexts and border controls. There are also cases, such as those involving stolen babies, that are not being addressed with the urgency and priority they deserve.
- International cooperation is essential in the fight against enforced disappearances. It is not only a matter of solidarity with the victims; it is also a legal imperative under international human rights law.
- Families – and in particular groups of women searchers – need meeting places where they can talk about their experiences, difficulties and advances, or simply share their frustrations and fears. The World Congress demonstrated this once again. ICIP already has experience in organizing these types of meetings and has proposed to continue joining forces for the organization of future gatherings.
The year has begun with very uncertain outlooks regarding peace, the prevalence of multilateralism and the defense of human rights. Therefore, it has been a great privilege to participate in a congress that has shown that the network of people and groups working for a more just and less violent world is still strong and extensive, and that the struggles that focus on love and life are unstoppable.