Baku: In a significant development aimed at addressing the issue of missing persons, Azerbaijan and Armenia citizens will soon have the means to confidentially report missing individuals and burial sites. This was announced during an international conference titled “Modern Approaches and Strengthening Cooperation in Resolving the Issue of Missing Persons,” hosted in collaboration with the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the Director-General of the ICMP, Kathryne Bomberger, communicated in a letter to the State Commission that an Azerbaijani-language version of the ICMP’s Information Management System would be made available to the State Commission. This system will come with a roadmap for its initial implementation. Sharafat Hasanov, Deputy Chief of the State Security Service, highlighted the longstanding relationship between the ICMP and the State Commission, which predates the Second Karabakh War.
Hasanov noted that the ICMP had shared comprehensive insights into its methodologies for search, excavation, exhumation, and identification. The organization is prepared to provide Azerbaijan with an electronic database and offer training for state institution specialists in various areas, including database management and report preparation, adhering to international standards.
The Information Data Management System (IDMS) will allow consolidation of existing databases on a single platform, enabling real-time data entry and processing by relevant state institutions. This will facilitate quicker information access and prompt decision-making. The State Commission has already provided the necessary equipment to host the IDMS and its Online Inquiry Center (OIC) in Azerbaijan, with ICMP specialists having visited the country to install and activate the system and conduct training.
Upon completion of the planned processes, the heads of ICMP and the State Commission will sign an End User License Agreement for the use of the ICMP software, including the IDMS and the OIC, ensuring that the servers hosting the IDMS remain within Azerbaijan. Access will be restricted to trained employees of the relevant institutions.
The system’s design will allow Azerbaijan and Armenia citizens to confidentially report information related to missing persons and burial sites solely for humanitarian purposes, with no legal repercussions for those providing information. This initiative aims to clarify the fate of missing persons.