On 17 March 2026, the Missing Persons’ Families Platform in North and East Syria (MPFP-NES) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria (IIMP), a United Nations entity, with the aim of strengthening cooperation and coordinating efforts on the issue of missing persons in Syria.
The MoU seeks to support efforts to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing, detained, and forcibly disappeared persons in Syria, as well as to support their families and enhance their meaningful participation in efforts related to truth-seeking and justice. This cooperation is aligned with the mandate of the IIMP, as well as with the mission of MPFP-NES to organize and strengthen families’ collective efforts, and to empower them to represent themselves and lead advocacy initiatives to defend their rights.
This cooperation marks an important step toward strengthening the role of families of the missing as key partners in addressing the issue of missing persons in Syria. It also reaffirms the families’ right to know the fate of their loved ones, as well as their rights to truth, justice, and reparation.
- About the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria (IIMP)
The Independent Institution is a United Nations entity established by the General Assembly on 29 June 2023, in response to urgent calls from families of thousands of missing persons in Syria to take action to determine their fate and whereabouts. The Institution’s founding resolution mandates it to clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria and to ensure the provision of adequate support to their families.
- About the Missing Persons’ Families Platform in North and East Syria (MPFP-NES)
The Missing Persons’ Families Platform in North and East Syria is an inclusive civil platform that brings together families of missing and forcibly disappeared persons. It was established on 6 June 2024 with the aim of organizing and strengthening families’ efforts, and empowering them to represent themselves and lead advocacy initiatives to defend their rights. This includes their active participation in search efforts, truth-seeking processes, and the pursuit of justice, which are essential pillars for achieving comprehensive and sustainable peace in Syria.
By the end of 2025, the platform had grown to include more than 750 members, all of whom are family members of missing or forcibly disappeared persons linked to various parties to the conflict and from diverse ethnic, religious, and social backgrounds. This reflects the platform’s inclusive nature and its representation of a broad spectrum of families of missing persons across Syria.
For any questions or inquiries about the MPFP-NES, or if you wish to join, please do not hesitate to contact us through:
- Phone: +964 751 048 3382 (via WhatsApp & Signal)
- Email: contact@mpfp-nes.org