A/70/334 principles 12.1-12.6 relating to national procedures, institutions and mechanisms for considering restitution claims of displaced persons. 83. As internally displaced persons’ lands and properties may have been occupied by others, disputes may arise and national authorities must establish effective mechanisms to resolve them, making sure that the procedures are simplified so that they do not put an additional burden on internally displaced persons. Full consultation with and participation of internally displaced persons and displacement-affected communities in issues related to land reform are essential and key to assessing the extent to which a durable solution has been achieved. Therefore, these mechanisms must be accessible and internally displaced persons must be provided, where needed, with free legal assistance to pursue their claims. As pointed out in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Framework: “In some cases it may be appropriate to establish special restitution and compensation mechanisms (e.g. a Land Claims Commission) while in others, existing institutions, including traditional property dispute mechanisms, may have the capacity to handle the caseload effectively and impartially.” 84. During his visit to Cote d’Ivoire, the Special Rapporteur was pleased to learn that an inter-ministerial technical committee had been established to address land issues. However, it was noted that a specific government focal point on land reform issues would have been more valuable to ensure coordination of national efforts and the participation of internally displaced persons in the process (A/HRC/23/44/Add.1). During his follow-up visit in 2014, he welcomed the efforts undertaken by the Government to resolve disputes over land issues. 13 Family reunification 85. During displacement, family members may be separated or some may go missing. In both post-conflict and post-disaster situations, national authorities have the responsibility to reunite families and to create specific mechanisms to look into the whereabouts of missing relatives. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee Framework states: “Appropriate tracing is to be undertaken at the earliest possible time to establish the fate and whereabouts of missing relatives and to inform the next of kin of progress made in the investigation and the results obtained.” During his visit to Sri Lanka in December 2013, the Special Rapporteur learned that the Government had appointed a commission to investigate the fate of nearly 18,000 people who went missing during the armed conflict. He recommended that it should comply fully with international standards, work in full consultation with the families of the missing persons, extend its coverage to include missing persons/disappearances since May 2009 and make its finding and recom mendations public (A/HRC/26/33/Add.4). Documentation and participation in public affairs 86. Mechanisms to replace lost or other documents should be establishe d at the earliest opportunity. The lack of documentation can be a major barrier to registration, free movement or the ability to access benefits and other assistance. Mechanisms should be accessible and affordable to all internally displaced persons, regardless of their displacement situation. The establishment of local or mobile __________________ 13 22/26 See www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14881&LangID=E. 15-12504