About the mandate
One of the Working Group’s primary tasks is to assist families in determining the fate or whereabouts of their family members who are reportedly disappeared. In that humanitarian capacity, the Working Group serves as a channel of communication between family members of victims of enforced disappearance and other sources reporting cases of disappearances, and the Governments concerned.
To achieve this, the Group:
- receives, examines and transmits to Governments reports of enforced disappearances submitted by relatives of disappeared persons or human rights organizations acting on their behalf;
- requests Governments to carry out investigations and to inform the Working Group of the results;
- follows up those requests of information on a periodic basis;
- has a preventive role, by assisting States in overcoming obstacles to the realization of the Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance. This is done both while carrying out country visits and by providing advisory services, when requested.
The most recent resolution renewing the mandate of the Working Group, A/HRC/RES/54/14, was adopted by the Human Rights Council in October 2023.
About the members
The Working Group is composed of five independent experts of balanced geographical representation. Together, they investigate individual cases and produce reports and opinions in order to fulfil the mandate. They meet three times a year in Geneva.
More on the members of the Working Group.
Annual and Thematic reports to the Human Rights Council
The Working Group reports annually to the Human Rights Council on the activities it has carried out since the Council’s previous session, up until the last day of the Working Group’s third annual session.
| Year | Title | Symbol number |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances This report reflects the activities of the WGEID, communications and cases that it processed during the reporting period. It also includes the main findings and observations on the thematic study on enforced disappearances and elections | A/HRC/57/54 |
| Thematic report: Enforced disappearances and elections | A/HRC/57/54/Add.4 | |
| 2023 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances This report reflects the activities of the WGEID, communications and cases that it processed during the reporting period. It also includes the main findings and observations on the thematic study of new technologies and enforced disappearances. | A/HRC/54/22 |
| Thematic report: New technologies and enforced disappearances | A/HRC/54/22/ADD.5 | |
| 2022 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances This report reflects the activities of the WGEID, communications and cases that it processed during the reporting period. It also introduces the issue of new technologies and enforced disappearances, focus of the next thematic report of the Working Group. | A/HRC/51/31 |
| Thematic report: Thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance | A/HRC/51/31/Add.3 | |
| 2021 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances This report reflects the activities of the WGEID, communications and cases that it processed during the reporting period. It also addresses the issue of enforced disappearances in the context of transnational transfers. | A/HRC/48/57 |
| Thematic report: Enforced disappearances in the context of transnational transfers | A/HRC/48/57 (paras. 38-60) | |
| 2020 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances This report reflects the activities of and communications and cases examined by the WGEID from 23 May 2019 to 15 May 2020. During the reporting period, 205 cases were clarified. | A/HRC/45/13 |
| Thematic report: Standards and public policies for an effective investigation of enforced disappearances | A/HRC/45/13/Add.3 | |
| 2019 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances This report reflects the activities of and communications and cases examined by the WGEID from 3 May 2018 to 22 May 2019. During the reporting period, 406 cases were clarified. | A/HRC/42/40 |
| 2018 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances In this report, the Working Group provides information on the activities carried out and the communications and cases examined from 18 May 2017 to 2 May 2018. The report includes a section on the preliminary observations on the issue of standards and public policies for the effective investigation of enforced disappearances. During the reporting period, 404 cases were clarified. | A/HRC/39/46 |
| 2017 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances In its report, the Working Group provides information on activities carried out and communications and cases examined from 19 May 2016 to 17 May 2017. During the reporting period, 130 cases were clarified. | A/HRC/36/39 |
| Thematic report: Enforced disappearances in the context of migration | A/HRC/36/39/ADD.2 | |
| 2016 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | A/HRC/33/51 |
| 2015 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | A/HRC/30/38 |
| Thematic report: enforced disappearances and economic, social and cultural rights | A/HRC/30/38/Add.5 | |
| 2014 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | A/HRC/27/49 |
| 2012 | Annual report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances This report includes a thematic section on reparations and enforced disappearances. | A/HRC/22/45 |
| Corrigendum | A/HRC/22/45/Corr.1 | |
| 2011 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | A/HRC/19/58/Rev.1 |
| 2010 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | A/HRC/16/48 |
| Addendum – Best practices on enforced disappearances in domestic criminal legislation | A/HRC/16/48/Add.3 | |
| Corrigendum | A/HRC/16/48/Add.3/Corr.1 | |
| 2009 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | A/HRC/13/31 A/HRC/13/31/Corr.1 |
| 2008 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | A/HRC/10/9 |
| 2007 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | A/HRC/7/2 |
| 2006 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | A/HRC/4/41 |
| 2005 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/2006/56 E/CN.4/2006/56/Corr.1 |
| 2004 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/2005/65 |
| 2003 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/2004/58 |
| 2002 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/2003/70 E/CN.4/2003/70/Corr.1 |
| 2001 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/2002/79 |
| 2000 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/2001/68 |
| 1999 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/2000/64 E/CN.4/2000/64/Corr.1 E/CN.4/2000/64/Corr.2 |
| 1998 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1999/62 |
| 1997 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1998/43 |
| 1996 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1997/34 |
| 1995 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1996/38 |
| 1994 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1995/36 |
| 1993 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1994/26 E/CN.4/1994/26/Corr.1 E/CN.4/1994/26/Corr.2 |
| 1992 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1993/25 |
| 1991 | Report on the visit to Sri Lanka by the Working Goup on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (7-18 October 1991) | E/CN.4/1992/18 E/CN.4/1992/18/Add.1 |
| 1990 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1991/20 E/CN.4/1991/20/Add.1 |
| 1989 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1990/13 |
| 1988 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1989/18 E/CN.4/1989/18/Add.1 |
| 1987 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1988/19 E/CN.4/1988/19/Add.1 |
| 1986 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1987/15 |
| 1985 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1986/18 E/CN.4/1986/18/Add.1 |
| 1984 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1985/15 E/CN.4/1985/15/Add.1 |
| 1983 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1984/21 |
| 1982 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1983/14 |
| 1981 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1492 |
| 1980 | Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances | E/CN.4/1435 |
Reports to the General Assembly
| Year | Title | Symbol number |
| 2004 | Question of enforced or involuntary disappearances | A/59/341 |
| 2000 | Question of enforced or involuntary disappearances | A/55/289 |
| 1998 | Question of enforced or involuntary disappearances | A/53/304 |