Search for the Missing
In times of armed conflict, people all too often get separated in the chaos of fighting, displacement and the struggle for survival. For families, this can mean weeks, months or even years of anguish and distress – but also of hope that their loved ones will return one day. Under the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, States have obligations to prevent people from going missing and to provide families with information if they do. In this podcast, we’re looking particularly at how these obligations are reflected in the work of the ICRC Central Tracing Agency Bureau for the international armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine (CTA Bureau) and how they help alleviate the suffering of families waiting for news.
Search for the Missing
Respecting and Caring for the Dead
When people are killed in armed conflict, the states concerned must ensure that their bodies are identified and handed over to their families as soon as possible. This is not only a legal obligation that they must comply with, it is also a humanitarian endeavor and a fundamental human value. Helen Obregon, ICRC legal advisor, and Carlos Villalobos, CTA-Bureau's forensic manager, discuss the Geneva Conventions' provisions relating to the dead, preventive measures that can be taken to ensure identification, and challenges that arise when hostilities prevent access to the battlefield.