Geneva: Baloch group highlights crisis of enforced disappearances at First World Congress

Geneva [Switzerland], January 16 : The Baloch National Movement (BNM) brought international attention to the issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan during the First World Congress on Enforced Disappearances. The two-day event held on January 15-16, provided a platform for discussions and collaborations aimed at addressing this grave human rights concern on a global scale.
The BNM, led by its Chairman, Naseem Baloch, participated in various sessions, engaging with international organisations, human rights advocates, and policymakers to shed light on the ongoing crisis in Balochistan. The delegation actively contributed to panels, discussions, and exhibitions designed to emphasise the need for accountability and justice for victims of enforced disappearances.

According to Faheem Baloch, Foreign Secretary of the BNM, the movement carried out a variety of activities to highlight the plight of Baloch people facing enforced disappearances.
"Today is the second day of the First World International Congress against enforced disappearances. And Baloch National Movement is participating with its delegation and highlighting the Baloch enforced disappearances issues at the World Congress. In this event, Baloch National Movement is doing different variety of activities. For example, under the Broken Chair, Baloch National Movement has got a tent where we are showcasing the cases of enforced disappearances, and along with that inside the hall, Baloch National Movement is also doing a photo exhibition where the photos of the enforced disappearances people are being shown," he explained.
He elaborated further on the delegation's interactions with key organisations, saying, "Baloch National Movement has been meeting with different international organisations, the representatives of ICGA, and along with that, Baloch National Movement delegation met with the working group on enforced disappearances. And Amnesty International was also over here. So the team of Baloch National Movement had a discussion with Amnesty International regarding the issues going on in Balochistan, specifically enforced disappearances."
The BNM's campaign also included a photo exhibition. Naseem Baloch highlighted the significance of the event and said their goal is to put forward the problem of enforced disappearances on the global stage.

"We have kept two sections in these two days of the conference, where one is for a photo exhibition, and the other is a panel discussion where we are interacting with the World Congress around the topic of enforced disappearances. One of the panels of the photo exhibition is a tent on Broken Chair, and the second part of the exhibition is at the International Conference Centre, where the First World Congress is getting together," Naseem Baloch stated.
"Our goal is to get the missing persons from Baloch and the problem of enforced disappearances in front of the world, and in these two days in Geneva, we are able to see good progress around the same. We have had good discussions with the panels and look forward to working with them in the future around this," he added.
The discussions extended beyond presentations and exhibitions. The BNM delegation actively intervened in various sessions, posing questions about how affected families could receive support and legal assistance. They also emphasised the importance of networking with international organisations to strengthen advocacy efforts and raise global awareness about enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
Hakeem Baloch, Focal Person of the Baloch National Movement, pointed out the legal challenges associated with addressing such cases.

"In many different sessions, one thing which has been observed is that many countries have not signed this ratification, which is a crucial human rights (issue), where a person has been in custody without any charge, no one knows where they are, even during proper custody they are made to disappear forcibly, and are put in dungeons. They are victims of torture," he said.
He also explained the plight of people in Balochistan in seeking justice, as they face discrimination even in courts and administration.
"One thing which I heard, a testimony of a Syrian person about their brother - that he knocked all the doors in search of his brother, but not once in his mind did it click that he could use the legal way, the law. Obviously, it might not be easy for the people in Balochistan, or Pakistan in general, to go into the courts, where the courts are discriminating against the families, but that should still be the first priority, that if someone from a family has been enforcedly disappeared, that a case be registered," he said.
Over the course of the event, the Baloch National Movement sought to highlight the atrocities faced by the people of Balochistan and establish connections with international advocates and affected families from other regions.
The Baloch National Movement also set up a protest camp near the Broken Chair to highlight the enforced disappearances, on the sidelines of the First World Congress on Enforced Disappearances.
Through these efforts, the BNM aims to bring global attention to the ongoing crisis and strengthen its campaign for justice and accountability.