syria-un-20140212 45

A/HRC/25/65 45 iv. Ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and recognise the competence of the Committee under Articles 31 and 32 of the Convention; v. Ensure that all cases of enforced disappearance as well as acts tantamount to enforced disappearances are duly investigated, that those responsible are prosecuted, and, where appropriate, punished; vi. Ensure that military commanders and civilian superiors enforce the prohibition of enforced disappearances within their ranks and among their subordinates; vii. Ensure that those involved in the search for victims of enforced disappearance, notably the relatives, have full and unimpeded access to justice and are protected against ill-treatment, intimidation or reprisal. To that effect, effective victim and witness protection measures, offering guarantees of safety for those who wish to lodge a complaint or testify, should be established; viii. Survivors and families of disappeared should also be granted reparations that include rehabilitation, satisfaction, compensation and, in particular, psychological and social support for the relatives; ix. To the extent possible, special social and financial support should be provided to dependent women and children. The Commission recommends that anti-Government armed groups: i. Ensure that military commanders enforce the prohibition of enforced disappearances; ii. Take all feasible measures to account for persons reported disappeared as a result of the armed conflict; iii. Provide the family members of disappeared with any information concerning their fate and whereabouts; iv. Register and hold all detainees in a recognized place of detention; v. Promptly inform the detainees of the reasons for their detention; vi. Ensure that any person deprived of liberty has contact with the exterior, including legal assistance. The Commission recommends that all parties to the conflict: i. Maintain an updated register of all persons deprived of liberty; ii. Set up a process to centralize information on persons deprived of liberty, to transmit such information to their next of kin directly or through a neutral intermediary, and to respond to inquiries about the whereabouts of disappeared persons; iii. Ensure that any person deprived of liberty is held in a recognized place of detention and has the opportunity to challenge his or her detention before an independent and impartial body