On June 22 present on the First session of the UN Human Rights Council representatives of non-governmental organizations interested in adoption of the UN Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance had a chance to convey their message in support of the Convention to members of the Council. The speakers included founder and Director of the Humanitarian Human Rights Center in Belgrade Natasha Kandic, Serbia and women’s rights and human rights activist, representative of the Asian Human Rights and Development Forum, 1998 awardee of the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights Sunila Abeysekera, Sri Lanka.

The address by Marta Vazquez, Argentina was listened to by members of the Council with special interest. Ms. Vazquez is a prominent activist in the area of human rights of enforcedly disappeared persons. On May 14, 1976 Marta Vazquez’s pregnant daughter and son-in-law were detained and since then vanished. From that moment on Ms. Vazquez has been fighting enforced disappearances and has been an ardent defender of the human rights of all people disappeared in Argentina. Marta Vazquez is member of several organizations affiliating family members of enforcedly disappeared people such as Plaza de Mayo Mothers and Plaza de Mayo Grandmothers. From 1999 to 2005 Marta Vazquez headed the Latin American Federation of Associations of Relatives of Disappeared (FEDEFAM), the organization that 30 years ago began a painstaking process aimed at drafting and adopting a Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Thus, FEDEFAM representatives were present at all meetings of the Working Group on draft Convention and have made an immense contribution to its preparation. When in September 2005 at a Working Group meeting its chairman Bernard Kessedjian was presenting the text of the Convention he pointed out that he dedicated it to Marta Vazquez. After Marta Vazquez’s address on June 22 President of the Human Rights Council Luis Alfonso de Alba heartily shook hands with her and asked those present to hold minute's silence in honor of all disappeared people.

On June 23 within the framework of the session of the Human Rights Council a special event took place. The event was jointly organized by the Latin American Federation of Relatives of Disappeared People (FEDEFAM), Venezuela, Asian Federation Against Disappearances (AFAD), Philippines, Human Rights Watch, USA, Linking Solidarity, Netherlands, Civil Initiative We Remember, Belarus. At the meeting reports on disappearances were made by: Ambassador of France to the UN Jean-Maurice Ripert, Ambassador of Argentina Alberto Dumont, Ambassador of Spain Juan Antonio March, Ambassador of Chile Juan Martabit, representative of the Commission on the Rights of Indigenous People Xochitl Galvez, Mexico, representative of the Asian Federation Against Disappearances Mary Aileen Bacalso, Philippines. After the reports were made the open letter in favor of the Convention signed by thousands of people and dozens of organizations throughout the world was presented. The open letter was distributed among all participants of the session of the Human Rights Council.

On June 26 Chairman of Working Group on draft Convention Bernard Kessedjian will deliver a special report on the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance at the Human Rights Council. In the afternoon a special event will be held in the Geneva memorial Garden for the Disappeared.

CIWR.ORG press-service