GENEVA - The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances* today urged the Government of Chile to maintain and improve public policies initiated under the National Search Plan, published in 2023 to clarify the circumstances of the disappearance and death of victims of enforced disappearance during the military dictatorship.
Under the technical cooperation agreement with the Government of Chile, the Working Group issued a technical opinion on best practices and challenges facing the National Search Plan, making a number of recommendations to enable it to continue making progress in the search for truth, justice and reparation.
"We thank the Government of Chile for its collaboration in carrying out this technical cooperation, which we consider a good practice, as it has enabled us to closely examine the actions taken to implement the National Search Plan, to engage in on-site discussions with public servants, victims, academics and civil society groups, and finally to issue the technical opinion," the Working Group said.
The experts highlighted several good practices within the framework of the technical cooperation, including having specialised teams committed to human rights, the establishment of inter-institutional working groups, and progress in the classification and digitisation of information.
"It is regrettable that, more than 50 years after the dictatorship first started, many families have not found their missing relatives or have yet to receive a response regarding search, truth, justice and reparations," the experts said. "Therefore, it is important to continue making progress in the implementation of the National Search Plan and to ensure there are no setbacks."
"The Plan must have a legal framework that offers greater legal certainty; the teams that have already gained experience in this field must be retained, and a sufficient budget must be provided to ensure the efficiency, sustainability, and success of the Search Plan," the Working Group said.
The Working Group's technical opinion has already been submitted to the Government of Chile, and the experts are in contact with the authorities regarding continuation of the cooperation and technical assistance project.
