Armenia, Azerbaijan to create confidential channel for missing persons information

(Horizon Media / YEREVAN) – Armenian and Azerbaijani citizens will be able to confidentially provide information about missing persons, including possible burial sites, through a new mechanism being developed with the support of the International Commission on Missing Persons.

The initiative was discussed at an international conference in Baku titled “Modern Approaches and Strengthening Cooperation in Resolving the Issue of Missing Persons.” According to Sharafat Hasanov, Deputy Chief of Azerbaijan’s State Security Service, the mechanism is intended to help clarify the fate of missing persons and will be used strictly for humanitarian purposes. He said individuals who provide information will not bear responsibility under any circumstances.

The system will be based on the Information Data Management System developed by the International Commission on Missing Persons. It will consolidate existing databases on missing persons into a single platform and allow relevant state institutions to enter, update, and process information in real time. The servers will be located in Azerbaijan, with access limited to trained personnel from authorized institutions.

ICMP Director-General Kathryne Bomberger said the database could become an important tool for cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. She compared the model to the one used after the wars in the former Yugoslavia, where governments established a joint working group, created a shared database, and exchanged information on unresolved cases of missing persons.

Bomberger expressed hope that a similar mechanism could support humanitarian cooperation and contribute to peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.