BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 7. Missing persons cases are among the most painful and enduring humanitarian issues, State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality and Head of the Interagency Commission on the Recovery and Handover of Remains of Missing Persons, Tea Akhvlediani, said at the 4th international conference on the theme "Strengthening trust and developing effective mechanisms to resolve the issue of missing persons" held within the framework of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons on Wednesday, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
She pointed out that the impact of the cases is deeply felt by families who are forced to live, sometimes for decades, with uncertainty regarding the fate of their loved ones.
"While various countries have their own historical experiences regarding the issue of missing persons and have developed mechanisms suited to different contexts, we are firmly united by a shared humanitarian goal: to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons and, whenever possible, provide answers to their long-waiting families.
Precisely this shared responsibility brings us together today to strengthen sustained commitment and multilateral cooperation, as well as to pool the expertise of states, international organizations, academia, and civil society," she noted.
The minister added that, alongside improving search and forensic mechanisms, building trust and fostering close cooperation remain key steps toward achieving the goal of searching for and accounting for all missing persons, regardless of their ethnic background.
The 4th international conference on the theme "Strengthening trust and developing effective mechanisms to resolve the issue of missing persons", organized by the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, is being held in Gulustan Palace within the framework of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons.
The event is attended by former heads of state and government, high-ranking representatives of international organizations and foreign countries, heads of agencies dealing with missing persons, experts, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and human rights specialists, as well as ambassadors and military attachés of foreign countries accredited in Azerbaijan and other officials.
One of the main directions of this year's discussions is the formation and strengthening of trust between the parties.
The purpose of the conference is not to be satisfied with discussions, but to contribute to the formation of practical and sustainable mechanisms that strengthen trust and cooperation, serve to ensure families' right to know the truth, facilitate information exchange, and expand the application of modern forensic, DNA and technological capabilities. The event will continue until October 10.
