The international conference on “Uniting efforts and enhancing cooperation to address the issue of missing persons,” organized by Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, took place at the Gulustan Palace as part of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons, APA reports.
Chief of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, and Chairman of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, Colonel-General Ali Naghiyev, read out President Ilham Aliyev’s address to the participants.
Addressing the conference, Ali Naghiyev provided information about the objectives and significance of the international event on missing persons, organized for the third consecutive year.
The Chief of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan noted that the State Commission currently has 3,990 people registered as missing, and the remains of 218 individuals believed to belong to them have been discovered and exhumed from 29 mass graves found during excavations in the liberated territories.
“As of October 1, 2025, the remains of nearly 800 missing persons have been discovered and retrieved from Azerbaijan’s liberated territories,” Ali Naghiyev said, emphasizing this figure during his address to the international conference on “Uniting efforts and enhancing cooperation to address the issue of missing persons.”
Noting that despite all difficulties, in 2025, the State Commission, together with experts from relevant state agencies, conducted search and excavation operations three times in the Murovdag mountain range in the Kalbajar district — an area known for its difficult terrain and severe weather conditions — the Chief of the State Security Service added: “While search and excavation work had been carried out in the Kalbajar direction in previous years, this year the process was systematic, supported by drone technology, and yielded positive results.”
Ali Naghiyev emphasized that a group of experts is currently continuing search and excavation operations in the Agdara district.
“Another mass grave has been discovered on a height that was a former combat position. According to preliminary data, the remains of more than 10 Azerbaijani servicemen have been identified. As part of the event program, conference participants will visit this area tomorrow,” he noted.
Speaking at the conference, Director General of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) Kathryne Bomberger highlighted recent data showing an increase in the number of missing persons in conflict zones. She emphasized that global warming fuels extreme weather events such as forest fires, hurricanes, and floods, which cause people to go missing by displacing them or leading to disappearances during disasters. “Another important issue in this regard is the disappearance of migrants. Currently, about 1 billion people are forcibly displaced globally, with many going missing,” the ICMP Director General underlined.
Bomberger emphasized that cooperation, including the involvement of families and inter-agency collaboration, is essential for investigating the fate of missing persons.
Lt. Gen. Giorgio Battisti, President of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL), noted that understanding the laws of war is crucial for both military and civilian personnel. He shared insights into the activities of the institution he leads, saying that the IIHL, founded in 1970, has launched various initiatives over the past 50 years, including a round table to address the problems of missing persons amid humanitarian crises.
Other notable speakers — including Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Tea Akhvlediani, Turkish Deputy Minister of Justice Hurşit Yıldırım, former President of Croatia and member of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center Stjepan Mesic, and Chairman of the Board of the Missing Persons Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina Marko Jurić — underlined: “Peace isn’t about silence. There can be no true peace without addressing the issue of missing persons,” noting that the humanitarian tragedy of missing persons urgently requires a more determined international response. They emphasized that the search for missing persons is the responsibility of all parties, even after a conflict, as established by international humanitarian and human rights law.
Following the conference, a ceremony was held to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation between the State Commission of Azerbaijan and the Missing Persons Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The conference continues with sessions.
***18:31
On October 9, under the organization of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons of the Republic of Azerbaijan (State Commission) and with the participation of representatives from relevant institutions, the next international conference on the theme “Uniting efforts and enhancing cooperation for addressing the issue of missing persons” was in Baku as part of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons., APA reports.
Chief of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the State Commission of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, Colonel-General Ali Naghiyev, read out President Ilham Aliyev’s address to the participants and delivered a speech.
Then, other participants made speeches on the topic of the conference.
The conference included panel sessions, and a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the State Commission and the Missing Persons Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
***
10:54
On October 9, under the organization of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons of the Republic of Azerbaijan (State Commission) and with the participation of representatives from relevant institutions, the next international conference on the theme “Uniting efforts and enhancing cooperation for addressing the issue of missing persons” is being held in Baku as part of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons., APA reports.
Chief of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the State Commission of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, Colonel-General Ali Naghiyev, read out President Ilham Aliyev’s address to the participants and delivered a speech.
The Head of the Service provided information about the purpose and significance of the international event on missing persons, which has been held for the third consecutive year, expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for his support in organizing the conference, and noted the firm and principled stance of the head of state regarding the clarification of the fate of the missing citizens.
Ali Naghiyev, Head of the State Security Service, emphasized that currently 3,990 individuals are registered as missing persons with the State Commission. He noted that during excavations in the liberated territories, 29 mass graves have been discovered, and remains believed to belong to 218 individuals have been identified and exhumed. He also highlighted that the identities of 187 missing persons have been confirmed and their remains returned to their families. Additionally, as a result of ongoing search and excavation efforts, another mass grave was discovered in the Balligaya village area of the Aghdara district.
The Chairman of the State Commission stated that Article 9 of the draft "Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia," initialed on August 8, 2025, in Washington, the capital of the United States, provides for mutual cooperation in determining the fate of missing persons, and expressed hope that the recent regular contacts between the relevant state commissions of Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the expansion of cooperation with relevant international organizations, will contribute to this work.
Other participants also spoke on the conference’s topic. Panel sessions will be held within the framework of the conference, and a signing ceremony for a cooperation memorandum between the State Commission and the Missing Persons Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina will take place.
***
09:49
An international conference on "Uniting efforts and enhancing cooperation for addressing the issue of missing persons", organized by Azerbaijan’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, has commenced at the Gulustan Palace, as part of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons, APA reports.
Chief of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the State Commission of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, Colonel-General Ali Naghiyev, read out President Ilham Aliyev’s address to the participants.
Note that the conference will take place from October 9 to 11.
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