BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 8. A final
declaration has been adopted within the framework of the Baku
Dialogue on the topic "Strengthening Trust and Developing Effective
Mechanisms and Solutions in Addressing the Issue of Missing
Persons" today, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
The document reflects the outcomes of the discussions held at
the conference and the shared priorities, including strengthening
trust, expanding humanitarian cooperation, and developing effective
mechanisms to clarify the fate of missing persons.
“We, the participants of the International Conference on
“Strengthening Trust and Developing Effective Mechanisms and
Solutions in Addressing the Issue of Missing Persons,” held in
Baku, Azerbaijan, on 7-10 October 2026, within the Baku Dialogue on
Missing Persons, declare the following:
Guided by the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the
protection of war victims and the Additional Protocols thereto of
1977, as well as the resolutions of the United Nations General
Assembly and Security Council on missing persons;
Recalling the obligation of States to take all measures to
account for persons reported missing as a result of armed
conflict;
Expressing deep concern over the growing number of mass graves
discovered in different parts of the world;
Reaffirming the right of families to know the fate of their
missing relatives;
Underlying the importance of the resolution of cases of missing
persons for confidence building and reconciliation as well as
establishment of a sustainable peace;
Recalling the obligations of States to respect and ensure
respect for international humanitarian law and international human
rights law;
Taking into account the contribution of the Baku Dialogue on
Missing Persons to raising awareness and encouraging practical
cooperation on this humanitarian issue;
1. Urge States to take all measures to prevent persons from
going missing, to search and account for persons reported missing,
and to provide families with information on the fate of the
missing.
2. Call upon States to share all available information relevant
to locating and identifying missing persons, including records
concerning individual and mass burial sites.
3. Emphasize the importance of the safe, dignified and
scientifically sound recovery, documentation, identification and
return of human remains, and of preserving records and evidence
relevant to clarifying the fate of missing persons.
4. Commend the efforts of relevant state entities in a number of
countries in identifying human remains and ensuring their dignified
burial.
5. Reaffirm the right of families to know the fate of their
relatives reported missing in connection with armed conflict.
6. Express concern that landmines and other explosive ordnance
can impede search and recovery efforts.
7. Invite States, international and non-governmental
organizations to enhance cooperation for addressing the issue of
missing persons through exchange of best practices and delivering
technical recommendations, inter-alia by the use of forensic
sciences and other emerging technologies.
8. Also reiterate call to international organizations, in
particular the United Nations, to facilitate the establishment of a
mechanism, specifically to address the issue of persons missing as
a result of armed conflict and express readiness to engage with the
UN to this end.
9. Commend the work of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons,
which has become an increasingly important platform for sharing
experience, building trust and advancing practical cooperation
directed towards answers for families.
10. Express gratitude to the State Commission of Azerbaijan on
Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons for organizing the
Conference and providing a forum for constructive discussions on
national and international efforts to clarify the fate of missing
persons."
The program of the event will continue with a visit to Karabakh
from October 9 through 10. As an integral part of the conference,
the visit will provide an opportunity to gain a deeper
understanding of the humanitarian consequences of the conflict, the
conditions in which search efforts are being conducted, and the
challenges posed by mines and unexploded ordnance. The program also
includes visits to the Khojaly Memorial Complex, Shusha, and
Lachin, as well as an opportunity to familiarize participants with
reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories.
