New York, July 22 (SANA)Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations,Ibrahim Olabi, told a General Assembly session on the maintenance of international peace and security on Wednesday that Syria is determined to address the issue ofmissing personsas a national priority, describing the file as a humanitarian, moral and legal duty rather than a political instrument.

Olabi said that over the past decade Syria witnessed one of the most tragic chapters in its history as a result of the crimes committed by the ousted Assad regime, which “bring shame upon humanity”. He said the regime turned enforced disappearance into a daily suffering that affected the entire Syrian people, but stressed that “Syria today is different; it is searching for the missing instead of creating them, and it seeks to achieve justice and reveal the truth instead of concealing it”.

The Permanent Representative said theNational Commission for Missing Persons(NCMP) has made significant progress since its establishment, and continues to develop its working mechanisms in line with national priorities. He added that the Commission is preparing a comprehensive draft national law on missing persons through a participatory process involving families, victims’ associations and civil society organizations, to ensure that those most affected help shape how the file is addressed.

Olabi noted that the Commission has opened offices in various Syrian provinces to provide support to families of the missing, and that data entry is underway through an electronic platform to be launched soon, aimed at building a unified, secure national database on missing persons. He reaffirmed national ownership of the missing persons file and respect for Syria’s sovereignty in addressing it, saying that dealing with the issue is one of the country’s core national priorities.

“We reaffirm that the missing persons file is not a political file, but a humanitarian, moral and legal duty requiring concerted efforts to end the suffering of families and uncover the fate of the missing,” Olabi said, adding that Syria takes pride in the resilience of victims’ families and is committed to involving them in efforts to address the file. He stressed that the search for the missing must center on families’ right to know the truth and restore their dignity.

Olabi said the missing persons file requires close cooperation between Syrian authorities and international partners, including the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria, to support local capacity-building and equip national laboratories. He underscored the importance of ensuring that all relevant data and information are transferred to Syrian authorities in a secure and reliable manner, in a way that respects data protection standards and supports Syria’s efforts to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the missing.