BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 8. A final declaration has been adopted within the framework of the Baku Dialogue on the topic "Strengthening Trust and Developing Effective Mechanisms and Solutions in Addressing the Issue of Missing Persons" today, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
The document reflects the outcomes of the discussions held at the conference and the shared priorities, including strengthening trust, expanding humanitarian cooperation, and developing effective mechanisms to clarify the fate of missing persons.
“We, the participants of the International Conference on “Strengthening Trust and Developing Effective Mechanisms and Solutions in Addressing the Issue of Missing Persons,” held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 7-10 October 2026, within the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons, declare the following:
Guided by the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of war victims and the Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, as well as the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council on missing persons;
Recalling the obligation of States to take all measures to account for persons reported missing as a result of armed conflict;
Expressing deep concern over the growing number of mass graves discovered in different parts of the world;
Reaffirming the right of families to know the fate of their missing relatives;
Underlying the importance of the resolution of cases of missing persons for confidence building and reconciliation as well as establishment of a sustainable peace;
Recalling the obligations of States to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law;
Taking into account the contribution of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons to raising awareness and encouraging practical cooperation on this humanitarian issue;
1. Urge States to take all measures to prevent persons from going missing, to search and account for persons reported missing, and to provide families with information on the fate of the missing.
2. Call upon States to share all available information relevant to locating and identifying missing persons, including records concerning individual and mass burial sites.
3. Emphasize the importance of the safe, dignified and scientifically sound recovery, documentation, identification and return of human remains, and of preserving records and evidence relevant to clarifying the fate of missing persons.
4. Commend the efforts of relevant state entities in a number of countries in identifying human remains and ensuring their dignified burial.
5. Reaffirm the right of families to know the fate of their relatives reported missing in connection with armed conflict.
6. Express concern that landmines and other explosive ordnance can impede search and recovery efforts.
7. Invite States, international and non-governmental organizations to enhance cooperation for addressing the issue of missing persons through exchange of best practices and delivering technical recommendations, inter-alia by the use of forensic sciences and other emerging technologies.
8. Also reiterate call to international organizations, in particular the United Nations, to facilitate the establishment of a mechanism, specifically to address the issue of persons missing as a result of armed conflict and express readiness to engage with the UN to this end.
9. Commend the work of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons, which has become an increasingly important platform for sharing experience, building trust and advancing practical cooperation directed towards answers for families.
10. Express gratitude to the State Commission of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons for organizing the Conference and providing a forum for constructive discussions on national and international efforts to clarify the fate of missing persons."
The program of the event will continue with a visit to Karabakh from October 9 through 10. As an integral part of the conference, the visit will provide an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the humanitarian consequences of the conflict, the conditions in which search efforts are being conducted, and the challenges posed by mines and unexploded ordnance. The program also includes visits to the Khojaly Memorial Complex, Shusha, and Lachin, as well as an opportunity to familiarize participants with reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories.
