Geneva, September 29, 2026.- The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) today issued its findings on Armenia, Belize, Gabon and Lesotho after reviewing the four States Parties during its latest session.
The findings present the Committee’s main concerns and recommendations regarding the implementation of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, as well as positive aspects. Key issues include:
Armenia
The Committee was concerned about the limited information concerning the search for persons whose disappearance occurred outside of military operations and not falling within the scope of the Law on Persons Missing under Conditions and Circumstances Resulting from Military Operations, and about the slow progress of the search for all disappeared persons. It also raised concerns about the lack of progress of investigations into allegations of enforced disappearance, including in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and noted that relatives were not regularly informed of the progress and results of searches and investigations. The Committee recommended that Armenia develop comprehensive search strategies, ensuring that all persons who have disappeared are searched for until their fate and whereabouts are clarified, regardless of the time, place, and circumstances in which the disappearances occurred. It also called for all allegations to be effectively investigated in a coordinated way; perpetrators to be prosecuted and appropriately punished; and for victims to be informed, able to participate in proceedings and receive full reparation.
The Committee welcomed the commitment to include a specific reference in the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan to the need to address cases of disappeared persons and enforced disappearances, but was concerned that cooperation between the two countries remains limited and that the modalities of cooperation on disappeared persons will be determined in a separate arrangement upon ratification of the peace agreement. It urged Armenia to strengthen cooperation and mutual legal assistance with Azerbaijan and other neighbouring countries; called for closer cooperation among the commissions dealing with cases of disappeared persons, prosecutors and law enforcement authorities; and for the rapid establishment of a mechanism to facilitate the search for, recovery, and identification of located bodies and human remains.
Belize
The Committee welcomed Belize’s commitment to incorporate the offence of enforced disappearance into domestic law and adopt specific legislation on the issue. It recommended that Belize ensure that enforced disappearance is established as an autonomous offence in accordance with article 2 of the Convention and as a crime against humanity in accordance with article 5. It also called for appropriate penalties that reflect the extreme seriousness of the offence, while excluding the death penalty.
The Committee was concerned that the statistical information provided by the State Party did not clearly distinguish between cases of alleged enforced disappearance, disappearances allegedly committed by non-State actors without the knowledge, support or acquiescence of the State, and other cases of “missing” persons. It recommended that Belize accelerate the establishment of a national register capable of distinguishing these categories and containing up-to-date, disaggregated information on the circumstances of disappearances, persons located alive or deceased, and possible State involvement. The Committee also called for the register to cover cases linked to disappearances occurring in the context of migration and trafficking in persons and to be interoperable with relevant detention, migration, trafficking, forensic and civil registration databases.
Gabon
The Committee reiterated the concerns raised during its 2017 dialogue with the State Party regarding weaknesses in the legal and institutional framework that do not adequately guarantee an immediate, thorough, impartial and effective investigation into the allegations of enforced disappearance, including where no formal complaint has been lodged. It also raised concerns about inadequate follow-up in disappearance cases, including those involving Indigenous communities, and the lack of safeguards for families, human rights defenders and others involved in search and investigation processes. The Committee urged Gabon to strengthen its framework to ensure immediate searches, prompt and independent investigations, prosecution and punishment of perpetrators, meaningful participation of families, and protection against intimidation and reprisals. It also called for accessible, non-discriminatory reporting and complaint mechanisms responsive to the needs of Indigenous people, women, children and other persons in vulnerable situations.
In this regard, the Committee expressed concern over reports of persisting abductions, particularly of children, for the purpose of harvesting organs or body parts, followed by their disappearance. It also highlighted the impunity surrounding such serious crimes and noted that the current legal framework covers murder but does not address related acts, including abductions, disappearances and other attacks on physical integrity. The Committee also regretted the lack of clear data on the scale of the phenomenon and on investigations, prosecutions and convictions. It urged Gabon to expressly and adequately criminalise abduction, unlawful detention and enforced disappearance for the purpose of removing organs or body parts, regardless of whether the acts resulted in death. It also called for systematic investigations and accountability, documentation of the scale of the problem, protection of victims, families and witnesses, and guarantees of victims’ rights to truth, justice and full reparation.
Lesotho
The Committee was concerned about gaps in Lesotho’s legal and administrative framework on enforced disappearances, including unclear limitation periods, insufficient provisions on criminal responsibility and due obedience, and the absence of a centralized register of disappeared persons. It recommended that Lesotho recognize enforced disappearance as a continuous crime, bring its legislation on criminal responsibility fully into line with the Convention, and establish an accurate, centralized register that can be cross-referenced with detention and migration records.
The Committee was concerned about limited measures to protect children and adolescents from enforced disappearance, including in the contexts of trafficking, migration and forced recruitment. It also raised concern about allegations of illegal intercountry adoptions that had not been fully investigated. It also regretted the lack of specific data and comprehensive measures to search for disappeared unaccompanied minors, including children from Lesotho who disappear abroad. The Committee urged Lesotho to strengthen measures to search for and identify disappeared children, investigate allegations linked to illegal intercountry adoptions, and establish a specialized mechanism to prevent, monitor and investigate the disappearance of unaccompanied minors in the context of migration. It also called for stronger birth registration and coordinated procedures for the immediate search for missing children.
In addition to country reviews, the Committee adopted its periodic Report on Urgent Actions. Since last March, the Committee has received 181 new urgent action requests. As of 31 August 2026, the Committee had registered 2,369 requests, of which 574 disappeared persons had been located, including 28 during the latest reporting period. The Committee welcomed the fact that 437 disappeared persons have been found alive since the beginning of the procedure.
The Committee also adopted its second General Comment on “The impact of Enforced Disappearances on Women and Girls”, the result of two years of research and extensive consultations. The General Comment contextualizes the differentiated impacts of enforced disappearance on women and girls, sets out cross-cutting principles, and provides guidance to States on fulfilling their obligations under the Convention from a gender-responsive and intersectional perspective.
Under the slogan of “Victims First, Action Now”, the Committee also held an event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Convention and launch the initiative “We are still here” under the Global Alliance for Human Rights. The event gathered victims, drafters of the Convention, experts of the Committee and of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, who shared their experiences and testimonies while looking at the way forward.
The above country review findings, officially known as Concluding Observations, and the Urgent Actions Report are available on the session page. The Spanish version of the General Comment No. 2 is available on the CED General Comments Webpage, and versions of the other languages will be published as they become available.