UN – International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances (August 30, 2025)

August 30 is the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. On this occasion, France reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the fight against enforced disappearances and to the quest for truth, justice and reparations for the victims and their families.

Enforced disappearances are not a thing of the past. They are used by authoritarian regimes to repress civil society, and by warring parties in conflict situations. The UN has recorded nearly 61,500 cases of forced disappearances in 115 nations since 1980. Between May 2024 and May 2025, 1,278 cases were reported in 38 countries.

Enforced disappearances have been an international crime since the 2006 adoption of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons Against Enforced Disappearances, at the behest of Argentina and France. In certain cases they may be a crime against humanity. In March 2025, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that the enforced disappearance of Ukrainian civilians by the Russian authorities in a widespread, systematic way was a crime against humanity.

France will continue its efforts to universalize the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons Against Enforced Disappearances. It has now been ratified by 77 nations. In 2024, five new countries (Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, Poland, South Africa and Thailand) ratified this instrument. France hails their decision.