First World Congress on Enforced Disappearances to be held in Geneva on 15 and 16 January 2025

The first World Congress on Enforced Disappearances will be held in Geneva on 15 and 16 January 2025. Co-organized by the Initiative for the Convention Against Enforced Disappearances (CEDI), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, this event aims to strengthen the global fight against this practice and place the victims at the center of international mobilization.

One of the main goals of the Congress is to promote the universal adoption of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which was adopted in 2006 but is still insufficiently ratified. This treaty remains a crucial tool to prevent and eradicate this practice, which still affects many worldwide.

The program includes plenary sessions, roundtables, and workshops to define an action plan aimed at encouraging states to ratify and implement the Convention. Voluntary commitments will be collected and announced during the opening ceremony. More than 300 participants, including victims, experts, state representatives, international organizations, and civil society, are expected.

The State of Geneva, through its Directorate for International Affairs, is proud to support this Congress, which marks a turning point for a coordinated global response to enforced disappearances and highlights the importance of multilateralism and cooperation in decision-making processes.