The independent institution on people who have disappeared in the Syrian Arab Republic (Iim) is the first entity of this type established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in June 2023. It is dedicated to determining the fate and where all the people who disappeared in Syria are located and supporting the survivors and the families of the disappeared.
Here are five key things you need to know about the iim.
Dictatorship and disappearances
The IIMP has been created to resolve the issue of missing people in Syria, a country that has experienced significant disorders and conflicts in recent decades.
The cages in which prisoners were apparently held are represented in the infamous Sednaya prison in Damascus.
Fifty years of dictatorship and 14 years of civil war ended in Syria after the fall of the brutal regime of Assad in December 2024.
A message on the walls of Sednaya prison reads as follows: “Syria is free; We could not celebrate our victory with you, but we will not forget your pain.
People have disappeared in Syria for many reasons such as kidnappings, forced disappearances, arbitrary deprivation of freedom, movement, migration or military operations. It is not clear how many people are missing, but it is believed that in the tens of thousands.
Discover the truth
The main role of the institution is to determine the spell and where all the disappeared. This includes the collection and analysis of information, carrying out surveys and work in close collaboration with families and survivors to provide them with the answers they are looking for.
Much of Syria has been left in ruins after 14 years of civil war.
Discovering the circumstances of the disappearances will imply a massive effort, the verification of the prisons arriving in the prisons where the names of the inmate have been recorded and their exit to unknown parts.
Evidence of torture and mass in mass will have to be carefully chronic. The regular procedure will have to discover the former national network of secret police officers, prisons and judicials who have won orders and enabled the disappearance of thousands of people.
Support the survivors and families of the missing
IIMP supports the survivors and the families of the disappearance to deal with uncertainty and trauma to have a loved one disappeared.
This includes the supply of psychological support, legal assistance and the facilitation of communications between families and the authorities concerned.
The institution is looking for all those who are missing in Syria, regardless of their nationality, their group, its ethnicity, their political affiliation or the reasons and circumstances surrounding their disappearance.
‘Mission Titanic’
The head of iima, Karla Quintana, described the task that the body is confronted as “Titanic”, in particular because it is still not clear how many Syrians lack.
Karla Quintana (just in white jacket), the head of the iima, meets women whose relatives are missing.
The survey on circumstances surrounding the disappearance of individuals can be costly, therefore securing resources to do so is a “major challenge” according to Ms Quintana. If the resources are limited, this will hinder progress in surveys.
The research, processing and analysis of information takes time – in particular in Syria, where conflicts have made many areas inaccessible, the files can be incomplete or destroyed, and certain regions remain unstable and dangerous to work.
Work with Syrians
IIMP says that the search for disappeared people in Syria must be “locally detained and international supported”. The body operates thanks to a collaborative approach in partnership with local and international organizations, government agencies and civil society groups.
He is also committed to communities to raise awareness of the issue of missing people and encourage the sharing of information that could help surveys.
The expectations of this unprecedented United Nations mechanism are high because they could play a central role in the contribution to peace and justice in Syria.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
