On 27 September the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the UN in New York co-hosted this ministerial-level meeting entitled “Voices of the Mission: A Humanitarian Response to the Syrian Crisis.”

Among the many humanitarian tragedies faced by the Syrian people, the issue of missing persons stands out because of its scale and consequences. With over 100 000 persons estimated to be missing, families from all parts of Syria are struggling to know the fate and whereabouts of their relatives and identify ways to deal with this far-reaching issue. The right to know the fate and whereabouts of missing persons is enshrined in international humanitarian and human rights law.

In June 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to establish the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP). This milestone resolution carries significant hope for the thousands of families of missing persons that were the driving force behind this initiative. The mandate of the Institution is to clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria and to provide adequate support to victims, survivors, and the families of those missing.

The event provided a platform for Syrian activists, including Raed Alsalah, head of the Syria Civil Defense/White Helments; Farouq Habib, Deputy Manager of Syria Civil Defense/White Helments; Yamsmen Almashan founding member and President of the Caesar FamiliesAssociation; and Mazen Darwish, Director General of Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, to brief governments regarding the current situation for civilians in Syria as well as to galvanize support and action around the humanitarian crisis and IIMP for Syria.