Head of the Independent Foundation for Missing Persons in Syria: Knowing who is missing is the first step towards truth and lasting peace

At the end of her first visit to Syria, Karla Quintana, Head of the Independent Foundation for Missing Persons, stressed the need to recognize the scale of the tragedy after more than 50 years of the former regime, including 14 years of war, “characterized by gross violations of human rights.”

According to the UN News website, Quintana said that knowing who is missing is “the first step towards truth and lasting peace.”
On Sunday, Quintana concluded her visit to Syria at the head of a team from the foundation.
Accompanied by international forensic and criminal science experts and family members of the missing, the team met with key actors, including the Syrian authorities, families, civil society organizations, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the White Helmets and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
In the coming weeks, the independent foundation will propose a project for the authorities to discuss with officials and families, in order to unite efforts in the search for the truth and help uncover the fate of the missing.

It is noteworthy that the independent foundation for missing persons in Syria is the only entity created specifically to deal with this issue, and its mandate comes from the UN General Assembly, following the relentless efforts of the families of the missing Syrians..