Missing persons A/RES/79/173 Bearing in mind the effective search for and identification of missing persons using forensic sciences and new and emerging technologies, and recognizing that great technological progress has been made in this field, including DNA forensic analysis, which can significantly assist efforts to identify missing persons and to investigate violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, Recognizing the potential offered by new and emerging technologies for the search for and identification of missing persons, and acknowledging, in this regard, the opportunity to include these technologies in search activities and criminal investigations in combination with traditional approaches and techniques, while safeguarding personal data protection and privacy rights, Recognizing also that the establishment and effective work of competent national institutions can play a crucial role in clarifying the fate of missing persons in connection with armed conflict, Bearing in mind that the question of missing persons entails consequences not only for the victims themselves, but also for their families, especially women, youth, children and older persons, and in this regard recognizing the importance of addressing the legal situation of missing persons in connection with armed conflict, supporting their family members through national policies that include a gender perspective, as appropriate, and ensuring their participation in relevant processes related to actions taken in response to cases of missing persons, as well as their access to information and effective remedies, and stressing, in this regard, the importance of ensuring the protection of the families of missing persons and all individuals involved in the search, investigation and accountability processes against threats and violence, such as harassment, blackmail, ill-treatment and intimidation, including through the use of information and communications technology, Noting, in this regard, the progress made by coordination mechanisms, established in different parts of the world, aiming at exchanging information and identifying missing persons, which have contributed to informing families of the fate and whereabouts of their missing relatives, Recognizing that respect for and implementation of international humanitarian law can reduce the number of cases of missing persons in armed conflict, and in this regard stressing the importance of encouraging greater understanding of and respect for international humanitarian law, Stressing the importance of measures to prevent persons from going missing in connection with armed conflict, which may include enacting national legislation, ensuring the registration of detainees and notification upon their detention and allowing them to correspond with their families, ensuring the right to be treated with humanity and respecting the human rights of all detainees and persons unaccounted for, providing appropriate training for armed forces, producing and providing proper means of identification, the establishment of information bureaux, grave registration services and registers of deaths, ensuring accountability in cases of missing persons and complying with obligations under international humanitarian law regarding persons deprived of their liberty, Noting that the adequate, respectful and dignified management of the dead and good practices in casualty recording can complement efforts to prevent persons from going missing and help to clarify the fate and whereabouts of persons unaccounted for in armed conflict, Stressing the need to raise public awareness of the problem of missing persons as an important concern, as well as relevant provisions of international humanitarian law and human rights law, 24-24213 3/6