RATIFICATIONS

Panama - The Foreign Affairs Committee of National Assembly in Panama discussed the law to ratifiy the convention on November 12. Read news item (in Spanish)

Mali - On October 30 the National Assembly of Mali unanimously authorized the ratification of the convention. Read the news article (in French; somewhere at two thirds of the article)

Belgium - In answer to questions in parliament on October 23rd the Belgium Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that proceedings are moving forward at the Ministry of Justice but that it could take some time. However the political will to proceed swiflty in the ratification process is present. Read the question and answer (in Dutch and French)

Japan - During the 9th session of the Human Rights Council on September 9 2008 the Japanese Ambassador the UN in Geneva announced Japan is working to ratify the convention. Link to statement

France - the leading country in the process of the negotations for the convention, deposits its ratification on September 23 in New York. French Minister of State Rama Yade is present at the ceremony. Link to webpage of french MoFa on convention. Prior to the ratification the french Foreign Affairs Committee produced a report with the results of the investigation of the text of the convention. It includes an impact study and the draft law for ratification (only one article). Read the report in french

Argentina - Argentina deposited two declarations after ratification. One declaration recognizing the competence of the Committee on individual complaints (art 31 1) and one on recognition of inter-State communications (art 32 1).

Uruguay - The Senate of Uruguay ratified the convention on September 2 2008.

France - The french senate ratified the convention on enforced disapearances on July 8 2008. Sarkozy has to ratify to make the ratification final. Link to the senate decision (in french)

France - The Foreign Affairs commission of France issued a report on the convention. It includes a brief study of the impact of the convention on national law. The report also indicates that France will recognize the competence of the new Committee on Disappearances on individual complaints. Link to the report (in French)

Argentina - On June 11th the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina deposited a declaration accepting the competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, in compliance with Article 32 of the Convention.

France - The French National Assembly adopted a bill authorizing the ratification of the Convention. The Senate has yet to decide whether the text will be ratified by the President to enter into full legal force. Read more on the matter on the webpage of the French National Assembly (in French).

USA - On May 1 a proposal for a resolution that expresses that the Senate should give its advice and consent to the ratification of the convention on enforced disappearances - and other UN conventions - was submitted to the House of Representatives in the USA. The resolution is currently under review at the Comittee on Foreign Affairs. Read (article 3 of) the resolution here

Remarks on Enforced Disappearances and the Coalition during the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council. Read more on Session 1 (7-18.4.2008) and Session 2 (5-19.5.2008) in English.

Honduras - Ratified the Convention on April 1, 2008.

Mexico - Considerations of the Mexican Senate that lead to the ratification of the Convention on November 7, 2007 (in Spanish).

Albania - Declaration of Albania at ratification accepting the competence of the Committee.

Argentina - Statement of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina  on deposit of the ratification on December 14, 2007 (in Spanish).

On April 8, 2008 H.E. Dr. Nizar Albaharna, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain presented the National Report. One of the issues discussed included the State’s intention to sign and ratify the Convention on Forced Disappearances. Read more…

On March 27, 2008 in a resolution (A/HRC/7/L.31/Rev.1) on the Convention, the Council encouraged States that had not done so to consider signing, ratifying or acceding to the Convention and invited States to consider joining the campaign to share information on best practices in that area. Read more...

On March 26, 2008 Amnesty International reacted on Mexico's ratification in a statement: A positive, but insufficient step. Mexico ratifies the Convention against Enforced Disappearances. Amnesty's reaction in Spanish.

On March 25, 2008 in a resolution (A/HRC/7/L.30) on enforced or involuntary disappearances, the Council decided to extend the mandate of the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances for a further period of three years, and encouraged it, inter alia, to promote communication between families of disappeared persons and the Governments concerned. Read more...

Remarks of 6 States made during the High Level Segment of the Human Rights Council March 3-5, 2008.

On January 18, 2008 the Committee of Ministers (CoM) of the Council of Europe states that the entry into force of the convention would significantly contribute to combating the practice of enforced disappearances. Read article 8 of CoM reply

IMPLEMENTATION AND DISAPPEARANCE BILLS

Argentina - In November 2007 Argentina included enforced disappearance in the penal code as a seperate crime. Untill now the enforced disappearance was tried under ´illegal deprivation of liberty´. Read newspaper article (in spanish and english). The text of the law criminalising enforced disappearance and other crimes against humanity in Argentina (in Spanish).

Colombia - Colombia adopted bill 589 typifying enforced disappearnce in 2000 (in Spanish)

Guatemala - Draft bill number 3590 founding 'National Search Commission for Victims of Enforced Disappearances.  (in Spanish)

Mexico - Mexico adopted bill 569 to sanction and prevent disappearances in 2005.

Nepal - The Nepalese government has finally relented to immense pressure from national and international rights bodies and decided to introduce a new Act to deal with issues of disappearance. The law should be enacted in compliance with the convention. Read article  On November 27 Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula added that the government would produce a special and separate Bill on disappearance in the parliament within 10 days. Read article

Nepal - The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) on May 30 2007 submitted a letter to the Speaker of the interim Legislature-Parliament of Nepal setting out 23 recommendations related to the draft Bill tabled in the interim Legislature-Parliament.
Read letter in English

Read letter in Nepali

Philippines - House Bill 4959 is the anti disappearance bill in the Philippines which is still pending. Family members have been working hard for many years to get the Bill passed.

USA North Carolina - The General Assembly of the State North Carolina on April 2007 adopted a Bill (number 1682) to punish enforced disappearance. The Bill uses the definition of the Rome Statute.

2005 draft paper on domestic law. A comprehensive overview of a part of existing domestic law on disappearances until 2005.