Urge UK government to ratify the Convention on Enforced Disappearance

Enforced disappearance is a crime with wide-reaching effects, which is practiced in large numbers in many parts of the world.

In Mexico, for example, the government itself puts the number of enforced disappearances at over 100,000, and the figure continues to rise.

An enforced disappearance takes place when a person is arrested, detained or abducted against their will or otherwise deprived of their liberty by government officials or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorisation, support or acquiescence of the State. This is followed by a refusal to acknowledge the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which places them outside the protection of the law.

According to the UN, enforced disappearance has frequently been used as a strategy to spread terror within societies. It generates a feeling of insecurity among family members but also affects communities and society as a whole. States must commit themselves to ending the practice of enforced disappearance by taking steps to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of individuals not to be subjected to enforced disappearance. Furthermore, states must tackle the issue of impunity and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

To that end, Amnesty International urges all states to:

• Ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance

• Accept the competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances to receive complaints from individuals and state parties

• Implement the Convention into national law in line with international law and standards

• Adopt a long-term, comprehensive plan to prevent and eliminate enforced disappearance, which involves the establishment of effective training programmes for law enforcement and other personnel