Azerbaijan Hosts International Conference on Strengthening Cooperation to Address Missing Persons Issue

Baku, The Gulf Observer: Azerbaijan on Tuesday hosted an international conference titled “Enhancing Cooperation and Advancing Modern Approaches in Addressing the Issue of Missing Persons”, bringing together government officials, international experts and stakeholders to discuss improved coordination and modern mechanisms for resolving cases of missing persons.

Held at Gulustan Palace in Baku, the conference was organized by Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons in cooperation with the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). The event was moderated by Gazanfar Ahmadov, Secretary of the State Commission.

The conference commenced with the national anthem of Azerbaijan, followed by a minute of silence in honour of the martyrs who lost their lives in defence of the country’s independence and territorial integrity.

Addressing the gathering, Sharafat Hasanov, Deputy Chief of the State Security Service, said cooperation between Azerbaijan’s State Commission and the International Commission on Missing Persons had begun prior to the Second Garabagh War and had since evolved into a broader and more effective partnership.

Participants were also briefed on the activities and ongoing efforts of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons in addressing humanitarian issues related to missing persons.

Director-General of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), Kathryne Bomberger, highlighted the organization’s continued support for Azerbaijan in strengthening institutional capacity and advancing efforts to locate and identify missing persons through international cooperation and modern technical approaches.

The conference also featured addresses by Arzu Naghiyev, Chairman of the Defense, Security and Combating Corruption Committee of the Milli Majlis; Elnur Mammadov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and member of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons; and Zahid Oruj, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Milli Majlis.

Speakers underscored the importance of international collaboration, information sharing and the application of advanced scientific and forensic methods to address the humanitarian issue of missing persons, while reaffirming Azerbaijan’s commitment to working closely with international partners to strengthen these efforts.