Human Rights experts of the United Nations welcomed the decision by the Congress of Peru to approve the draft “Law on the Search of Disappeared Persons” during the internal armed conflict between 1980 and 2000.
“This is an important step towards realization of every victim’s right to know the truth about the fate and location of their loved ones,” experts said as they highlighted the humanitarian nature of the new law.
The document was inked by Pablo de Greiff, special rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence; and the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, composed of five independent experts from all the regions around the globe: Houria Es-Slami (Morocco), Chair-Rapporteur; Bernard Duhaime (Canada), Vice-Chairperson; Ariel Dulitzky (Argentina), Tae–Ung Baik (Korea) and Henrikas Mickevièius (Lithuania).
Submitted to the Peruvian Parliament by the Ombudsman’s Office, the bill confers on the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Public Ministry a key role in the search of disappeared persons. In addition, it sets the creation of a National Registry of Disappeared Persons.
“We call on the Peruvian State to continue taking decisive steps, mainly through an immediate enactment and publication of the new Law on the Search of Disappeared Persons, as well as the preparation of regulations deriving from it,” experts pointed out, according to the United Nations.
They went on to stress the importance of ensuring the necessary and sufficient budget allocation for the law to be properly implemented by all the institutions involved.
Finally, they expressed recognition, solidarity and encouragement to the victims and families of those disappeared during the country’s internal conflict, and reaffirmed their support to the Peruvian State in its efforts to clarify cases of enforced disappearance occurred during this period.
The work group on enforced or involuntary disappearances, that officially visited Peru in June 2015, will present a report to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2016, including its observations and suggestions on the situation.
(END) NDP/RMB/MVB
Published: 6/2/2016