The United Nations Foundation for Missing Persons in Syria: We will use all available means to reveal their fate and whereabouts

Quintana officially assumed her position last week to be President of the independent institution, an organization of a unique and unprecedented nature and the first United Nations body to focus on missing persons in a specific and current context.

in press release Quintana referred to a recent discussion session held at the World Conference on Enforced Disappearance, and what Ms. Fadwa Mahmoud, founding member of the “Families for Freedom” organization said, where she stated that “Families are partners in the establishment and work of the independent institution at every step. Because families are the main source of any information or knowledge related to revealing the fate of missing persons.”

Quintana emphasized that all missing persons in Syria fall within the jurisdiction of the independent institution, regardless of their nationality, group, race, political affiliation, or the reasons and circumstances surrounding their disappearance. This includes those missing due to kidnapping, enforced disappearance or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, as well as those missing due to displacement, migration or military operations.

She pointed out that disappearances are not new in the world and that there are important lessons that must be learned from previous experiences, and stated that the search for missing persons is a quest for the truth and an urgent humanitarian necessity.

Quintana said The recent events in Syria represent a pivotal moment in its history and in the ongoing Syrian quest for truth and justice, as well as a Syria for all Syrians. She added that countless families still lack answers regarding the fate of their missing relatives. She stressed that the Foundation will use all available means to reveal their fate and whereabouts, and will work side by side with the people in Syria for that.

She stressed that the independent institution is committed to working and coordinating with all concerned parties in line with its mandate and nature, including interim authorities, member states and international organizations. “Most importantly, the families of the missing and civil society.”

She pointed out that the independent institution was designed in a unique way that allows it to develop into a mixed Syrian-international institution or a Syrian national institution in the future, when circumstances permit. She said that this collaborative approach will enhance the development of the institution and contribute to building local and comprehensive Syrian capabilities.

She stressed the need to protect and preserve important records, information, data and sites, such as burial sites. She stated that even well-intentioned actions may inadvertently harm these vital resources, jeopardizing the ability of families and the community to uncover the truth about missing persons.

She stressed that the right to know the truth and memory are not only individual rights, but are also collective rights, and that knowing the fate and whereabouts of the missing in Syria constitutes part of that truth and memory and represents a decisive first step in achieving sustainable peace.