International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is observed on August 30. Every year on this day, organisations such as the UN and Amnesty International play an important role in raising awareness that enforced disappearance is a crime and should not be used as a tool to deal with situations of conflict. The International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is a UN observance and not a public holiday.

Date of International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances 2020:

Date of International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is observed every year on August 30. This year, the day falls on Sunday. In December 2010, the UN officially declared that it would annually observe the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on August 30 each year, starting from 2011.

What is Enforced Disappearance?

Enforced disappearance is used as a strategy to spread terror within society. It occurs when people are arrested, detained or abducted against their will and when governments refuse to disclose the whereabouts of these people. Enforced disappearance is a global problem and is not restricted to a specific region of the world.

On December 21, 2010, by its resolution 65/209, the UN General Assembly expressed its deep concern about the increase in enforced or involuntary disappearances in various regions of the world, including arrest, detention and abduction, when these are part of or amount to enforced disappearances, and by the growing number of reports concerning harassment, ill-treatment and intimidation of witnesses of disappearances or relatives of persons who have disappeared.

How is the day observed?

On this day, at various places, the activists share their personal stories as well as experiences about enforced disappearance through the public event. The victims of enforced disappearance appear in public to share their stories and experiences. However, on account of coronavirus pandemic this year, public events involving the gathering of the crowd will be restricted.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 30, 2020 07:50 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).