Association Network for Building Peace, a coalition of 222 members, organizations and schools from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), has been making long-term comprehensive efforts to restore the quality of social and economic life in BiH and aims to increase the long-term capacity of BiH society to cope with differences and conflicts in a constructive and non-violent manner, issues a press release on the occasion of August 30, 2021, the International Day of Disappeared.
It has been more than 25 years since the war in BiH ended and we are still searching for 7,600 missing persons. Even today, the families of missing persons do not know where the remains of their loved ones are.
So far, more than 3,000 secret mass graves have been discovered, an “extraordinary” achievement, says Sandra Šoštarić, the forensic coordinator of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), based in Hague.
BiH has witnessed a reversal in its approach to the problem of missing persons. It has moved from a humanitarian framework to a solid and legally established framework, in which the resolution of cases of missing persons is entrusted to state institutions dealing with the rule of law, including their judicial system. However, BiH needs to continue to support the effectiveness of the Institute for Missing Persons, one of the tasks that is particularly important in terms of a changing state and political environment. The Law on Missing Persons has not yet been fully implemented. The establishment of the Fund for Families of Missing Persons, as well as the finalization of the verification of the Central Register of Missing Persons are among the most important tasks to be fulfilled in the near future.[1]
The Network for Building Peace sympathizes with the families who are still searching for their loved ones, and hopes that the remains of the victims, who have not yet been found will soon be found, and that every missing person will be found and find their peace.
Today, organizations such as the UN, Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross play an active role in raising awareness that enforced disappearances are a crime and should not be used as a means of resolving conflict. International Day of Disappeared is an opportunity to highlight the work of these institutions, raise public awareness on the subject, and raise donations and include more volunteers.
The Network for Building Peace joins these organizations and tries to raise awareness among the citizens of BiH about the issue of missing persons in BiH and that we as citizens are obliged to help find missing persons.
Association Network for Building Peace team
[1] International Commission on Missing Persons, available at: https://www.icmp.int/where-we-work/europe/western-balkans/bosnia-and-herzegovina/
