Welcome to the United Nations 
OHCHR 
Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
About the mandate
One of the Working Group's primary tasks is to assist families in determining the fate or whereabouts of their family members who are reportedly disappeared. In that humanitarian capacity, the Working Group serves as a channel of communication between family members of victims of enforced disappearance and other sources reporting cases of disappearances, and the Governments concerned.
To achieve this, the Group:
- receives, examines and transmits to Governments reports of enforced disappearances submitted by relatives of disappeared persons or human rights organizations acting on their behalf;
- requests Governments to carry out investigations and to inform the Working Group of the results;
- follows up those requests of information on a periodic basis;
- has a preventive role, by assisting States in overcoming obstacles to the realization of the Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance. This is done both while carrying out country visits and by providing advisory services, when requested.
The most recent resolution renewing the mandate of the Working Group, A/HRC/RES/54/14, was adopted by the Human Rights Council in October 2023.
About the members
The Working Group is composed of five independent experts of balanced geographical representation. Together, they investigate individual cases and produce reports and opinions in order to fulfil the mandate. They meet three times a year in Geneva.
Calls for Input
Latest country reports
Contact Information
Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
OHCHR-UNOG, 8-14 Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneve 10, Switzerland
Tel: (41-22) 917 90 00
Fax: (+41-22) 917 90 06
Email: hrc-wg-eid@un.org
Videos
10 October 2025 - Tools for justice and accountability: universal criminal jurisdiction over enforced disappearances
A webinar sharing the findings of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances research study assessing the use of universal criminal jurisdiction in cases of enforced disappearance (A/HRC/60/CRP.2).
4 November 2024 - New Technologies and Enforced Disappearances Toolkit
This video, is a tool developed by the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, in collaboration with SITU Research to accompany its report on New technologies and enforced disappearances (A/HRC/54/22/Add.5).
25 September 2024 – Panel Discussion “Taking the Addis Ababa Roadmap forward Engagement with the AU judicial and human rights organs by the UN Working Group on Involuntary and Enforced Disappearances”
Activities
The demands of families of disappeared persons in Mexico and their rights to truth, justice and redress must be at the heart of any policy and guide all decisions
15 May 2026
English / Español