ICMP’s international strategies to address the issue of missing persons are supported by partnerships with the following organizations.
In 2007, ICMP and INTERPOL signed a cooperation agreement to provide assistance in identifying missing persons following disasters. Over the last several years, ICMP has worked with INTERPOL to enhance this partnership through the creation of an additional protocol that would create a permanent platform for Disaster Victim Identification (DVI).
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
ICMP worked with the ICTY from its establishment in 1996. In November 2006, ICMP and the ICTY laid the foundations for introducing the results of ICMP’s work in trials before the ICTY. The arrangement acknowledges safeguards that ICMP requires for the use of personal and confidential information on missing persons and their families.
International Criminal Court (ICC)
Based on models of cooperation with the ICTY, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor and ICMP signed a cooperation agreement in 2016.
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
In an effort to explore the magnitude of the missing persons issue in the context of human migration and displacement, and to create programs to address this problem ICMP signed a cooperation agreement with IOM in March 2013.
Since 1996, ICMP has worked closely on missing persons cases with a variety of UN entities, including:
- United Nations Development Program (UNDP)(Cyprus, Colombia)
- United Nations Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR)
- UN Peacekeeping Operations (BIH, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Iraq, and Libya)
- UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
ICMP is also exploring avenues for cooperation with:
- Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)
- UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
- European Union (EU)
The ICMP works closely with the EU particularly on projects in the Western Balkans and in Iraq, many of which receive EU financial support.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
ICMP works closely in relevant mission areas with the the OSCE on human rights and war crimes issues.
ICMP advises the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE on an ad hoc basis and also works with the CoE in relevant mission areas.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
ICMP has had a relationship with the ICRC since 1996 in program areas including the Western Balkans, Libya and Iraq. ICMP has also notably contributed to many ICRC publications on the issue of missing persons.
ICMP has worked with Swiss Peace on projects in the Western Balkans and the Caucasus.
European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI)
ENSFI aims to harmonize and develop the practice of forensic genetics from both a casework and research perspective, with representatives from all European countries, and participation by Europe’s most prominent forensic geneticists. ICMP’s regular involvement has served to establish ICMP’s reputation as the operator of one of the world’s most effective missing persons DNA laboratories, and has integrated ICMP in the European forensic genetics community.
Human Rights Center (HRC), University of California, Berkeley
ICMP has worked with the HRC at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law on a variety of projects including the provision of assistance to an El Salvadorian non-governmental organization Asociación Pro-Búsqueda de Niñas y Niños Desaparecidos (Search for Missing Children) to provide assistance with DNA testing, kinship analysis and database design for the identification of missing children from El Salvador.
ICMP has partnered with Benetech a non-profit organization that explores the uses of technology to create positive social change.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)
ICMP has maintained a long-standing working relationship with PHR in various program areas since 1996.