ICRC, STATE COMMISSION ON PRISONERS OF WAR SIGN A FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

armradio.am
03.10.2008 16:39

Today, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the
State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons of
the Republic of Armenia signed a framework agreement to help clarify
the fate of thousands of people who went missing in relation to the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The agreement was signed by Seyran Ohanyan,
Minister of Defence of the Republic of Armenia and President of the
State Commission, and James Reynolds, Head of the ICRC delegation
in Armenia.

The Framework Agreement on the Collection and Centralized Management
of Ante-Mortem Data on Missing Persons in Relation to the Nagorno
Karabakh Conflict will enable the collection of detailed data on
the missing persons from their families. The data collection will
be done by volunteers of the Armenian Red Cross National Society,
after they complete a special training.

The collected information – which includes photos and details of
physical characteristics of the missing person, personal effects and
clothing they may have been wearing at the time of disappearance –
will be then handed over to the authorities to assist with future
identifications. A similar agreement was already signed with the
State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons
of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 14 April 2008, and is expected to
be signed20soon with the commission functioning in Nagorny Karabakh.

"The signature of the agreement is an important step, although it is
a means to an end rather than an end itself", says James Reynolds,
Head of ICRC delegation in Armenia. "More than 4000 families are
still waiting for news about their relatives missing in relation to
the Nagorny Karabakh conflict and expect the parties to do much more".

The ICRC has long supported the authorities in ascertaining the fate
of people who went missing during the conflict. Over the past years,
the ICRC has strongly encouraged Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well
as Nagorny Karabakh, to take action to gather information about the
fate of persons still unaccounted for, as well as supporting their
families. In addition, ICRC works with the Armenian authorities to
create a piece of national legislation protecting rights of missing
persons and their families.