Mr. President,

Germany aligns itself with the EU Statement.

Germany welcomes today’s informal meeting and expresses its gratitude to the High Commissioner for Human Rights for his important briefing. We recall General Assembly resolution 77/220 and underscore that respect for international law, especially international humanitarian law, is crucial in order to prevent persons from going missing and to clarify the whereabouts and fate of missing persons. At the same time – and it has been said by many – the fate of missing persons is more than a legal matter. It is a deeply humanitarian one, impacting families, communities, and entire societies.

We particularly welcome the creation of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP). This institution represents a vital step in addressing the suffering of families who have been searching for their loved ones for far too long. As a country hosting a large Syrian refugee community, Germany is deeply committed to supporting the relatives of missing persons. We have therefore pledged more than one million USD to the newly established trust fund to support the IIMP’s essential work.

We emphasize the fundamentally humanitarian nature of the IIMP and reaffirm that national ownership is essential to any lasting solution. We urge the Syrian government to engage fully and cooperate closely with the Independent Institution, to leverage international support, and to draw upon the expertise and best practices of the international community in addressing this painful issue.

Germany remains gravely concerned about the fate of missing persons in other contexts:

In Ukraine, Russia’s ongoing war of aggression continues to cause devastating human suffering. The systematic abduction and forced disappearance of civilians, including children, by Russian forces – as established in the most recent report of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine – is unacceptable and must end immediately. The international community must ensure accountability and justice for the victims.

In Cyprus, Germany has supported the Committee on Missing Persons for many years, who through their long-standing work have been able to give hundreds of families certainty about their missing relatives and much needed closure, which is also a prerequisite for reconciliation and rebuilding trust between communities.

Thank you.