States must take full responsibility to solve all aspects of the issue of enforced disappearances: prevention; search for the disappeared; punishment of the perpetrators; and reparation for the victims, the Chairs of two United Nations expert bodies addressing the General Assembly on the issue declared today.

The United Nations experts tasked with assisting families determine the fate or whereabouts of disappeared relatives is urging States to define enforced disappearances as a crime and to help bring the international treaty dealing with this scourge into force.