For the first time, the highest representatives of the Republic of Macedonia, the International Community and the representatives of families of missing persons have met in one place to discuss common issues.

Today in Skopje the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) organized a Conference on ‘The Right to Know’, making it possible for the Government’s representatives and members of the families of arrested, kidnapped and otherwise missing persons to define together how to implement the Document that was adopted on 24th June 2003 by the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia. The Document defined a need to establish a Commission on the Determination of the Fate of Kidnapped and Missing Persons in the Republic of Macedonia who disappeared during the crisis in 2001.

The Commission would consist of members of the Macedonian Parliament, members of the Government of Republic of Macedonia, one representative of the families of both the kidnapped Macedonians and Albanians, as well as a representative of the ICMP.

Speaking to the participants of the Conference Kathryne Bomberger, ICMP Deputy Chief of Staff, called them to recognize the voices of those who can’t speak, to build up, through their common work, a strong society that can and does address this tragedy.

Boris Trajkovski, President of the Republic of Macedonia, in a letter he sent to the Conference, invited all participants to start to create a heritage for the next generation that will teach them how to separate good and evil.

Representatives of families of missing persons explained the many efforts they had made to come to this point, from where they will now, together with the Government’s representatives, continue to look for their missing loved ones.

ICMP teams will continue to provide technical support in the process of determining the fate and whereabouts of missing persons.