U.N. norms for protection from disappearance

• The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance enters into force on December 23, marking the end of a long struggle to get enough number of countries to ratify the convention to make it a legal instrument.
• Almost four years after its adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Convention eventually reached the 20th ratification, which was necessary for it to come into effect. According to International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances, (http://www.icaed.org), Iraq was the 20th country that ratified this international treaty.
• As many as 88 countries have signed the convention but only 21 have ratified it. Seven countries recognise competence of the Committee to receive individual and interstate complaints. Japan only accepted interstate complaints.
• India and Maldives signed the convention on February 6, 2007, says the website. No other country from the region has signed, acceded or ratified it.
• The Convention is a legally-binding instrument protecting people from enforced disappearances. No circumstance whatsoever, be it a state or threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency may be invoked to justify enforced disappearance. The Convention provides that enforced disappearance constitutes an international crime and, when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack, is considered a crime against humanity.