BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 7. The issue of missing persons is not a matter of the past, but is a matter of human rights, dignity, and responsibility toward the future, Bosnia and Herzegovina's Minister of Human Rights and Refugees, Sevlid Hurtić, said, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.

He made the remarks at the 4th International Conference on the theme "Strengthening trust and developing effective mechanisms to resolve the issue of missing persons" held within the framework of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons on Wednesday.

He noted that the right of families to learn the fate of their missing loved ones must be one of the fundamental principles of our humanitarian work.

"This right should not depend on political circumstances, the passage of time, interstate borders, or individual interests. It has no statute of limitations. There is no date at which a family should stop searching. No political circumstance can replace the truth to which a person has a right. Therefore, the issue of missing persons must transcend day-to-day politics, discrimination, and any political interests. When searching for a missing person, we are looking not for 'ours' or 'theirs', but for a human being.

Our experience has demonstrated the vital importance of inter-institutional cooperation, international support, forensic methods, DNA analysis, information sharing, and, above all, the determination to continue the search even when it appears no traces remain. However, technology alone is not enough," he explained.

The minister emphasized that there can be no full cooperation without trust.

"Without cooperation, there is no information sharing. Without information, no new leads are found. And in the absence of new leads, families will continue to remain in a state of uncertainty," he added.

The 4th International Conference on the theme "Strengthening trust and developing effective mechanisms to resolve the issue of missing persons", organized by the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, is being held in Gulustan Palace within the framework of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons.

The event is attended by former heads of state and government, high-ranking representatives of international organizations and foreign countries, heads of agencies dealing with missing persons, experts, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and human rights specialists, as well as ambassadors and military attachés of foreign countries accredited in Azerbaijan and other officials.

One of the main directions of this year's discussions is the formation and strengthening of trust between the parties.

The purpose of the conference is not to be satisfied with discussions, but to contribute to the formation of practical and sustainable mechanisms that strengthen trust and cooperation, serve to ensure families' right to know the truth, facilitate information exchange, and expand the application of modern forensic, DNA and technological capabilities. The event will continue until October 10.