Participants of int'l conference call for increased efforts to solve problem of missing persons

Following the international conference on "Increasing national and global efforts to clarify the fate of missing persons" held in Baku, a declaration has been adopted, Report informs.

The conference participants expressed grave concern about the fact that thousands of persons go missing every year as a result of armed conflicts.

It is emphasized that the issue of missing persons causes suffering to their families, relatives and friends, and to the society as a whole.

The declaration also notes the obligation of states to observe and ensure respect for the rules of the international humanitarian law.

Participants at the international conference called for more national efforts in order to prevent and effectively address the problem of missing persons; invited states to cooperate with each other in order to deal effectively with this issue; and also called on international organizations, including the UN, to further raise awareness regarding the issue of missing persons and come up with recommendations to clarify the fates of missing persons.

They also expressed gratitude to the government of Azerbaijan for the valuable opportunity to discuss the national and global efforts to clarify the fate of missing persons and for excellent organization of the event.