Statement of Odhikar to commemorate the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances

Dhaka, August 30, 2016 – Enforced disappearance is both a violation of human rights and a crime against humanity. When a state is accused for committing enforced disappearance, it opens new challenges for human rights defenders. Recognizing these challenges and the fact that existing Treaties were not enough to fight this gross violation, the UN decided a new international treaty was needed to prevent the crime of enforced disappearance. The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 20, 2006 and the treaty entered into force on December 23, 2010.