Response to the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
As delivered by Political Counselor Gregory Macris
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
September 5, 2019
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As we mark August 30 as International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, allow me to refer the Council to elements of the U.S. Department of State spokesperson’s statement issued on that day.
Authoritarian regimes often disappear advocates for freedom and human rights, journalists, political opposition, and others to silence the voices of those who challenge their authority or express dissent, and as a tool of oppression.
The practice of enforced disappearance is unconscionable, and regimes that use this practice are proving they are weak and fragile. We call for justice for victims of enforced disappearances and accountability for those who commit these crimes, and urge all countries to abandon this unlawful and heinous practice.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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