A roundtable dedicated to improving the process of searching for missing persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina was held in Neum, organized by the Advisory Board of the Missing Persons Institute (MPI) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the support of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The event was implemented as part of the regional project “EU Support to Confidence Building in the Western Balkans”, with the aim of strengthening institutional cooperation and providing continued support to families of missing persons.

The event brought together representatives of associations of families of missing persons from across the country, as well as key institutional and international partners, including representatives of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP). The roundtable was also attended by the Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sevlid Hurtić. On behalf of the Institute, participants were addressed by Nikola Perišić, Chairperson of the MPI Board of Directors, as well as Board members Šimun Novaković and Suad Hasanović, and investigators from the MPI Regional Office in Mostar.

The discussion focused on reviewing progress achieved to date and identifying priorities for the upcoming period, with particular emphasis on the challenges that families of missing persons continue to face.

As highlighted during the opening remarks, the issue of missing persons remains one of the most pressing humanitarian and societal challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“It is the obligation of all institutions to support families of missing persons and do everything within our power to locate those who are still reported as missing,” emphasized Minister Hurtić.

Representatives of families and institutions agreed that achieving tangible results requires a coordinated and inclusive approach, grounded in trust, transparency, and close cooperation.

The importance of cooperation and modern methods

Participants noted that more than 7,500 persons remain missing in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a result of past conflicts, with many cases being highly complex and requiring intensified efforts both in the field and in forensic laboratories.

Special emphasis was placed on the importance of DNA analysis as a key tool for the reliable identification of human remains, as well as on the need for additional verification of previously established identities.

“As long as there are living relatives, it is important to encourage families who identified their loved ones using traditional methods to provide blood samples for additional verification. This process does not take anything away from families, yet it can significantly contribute to identifying the remaining victims and provide answers to other families,” said Nikola Perišić, Chairperson of the MPI Board of Directors, during the discussion.

It was concluded that further progress in clarifying the fate of missing persons is only possible through the joint efforts of all relevant stakeholders – institutions, international organizations, and family associations – supported by open information-sharing and strengthened mutual trust.

“Only through joint action, and with the full cooperation of all partners, can we ensure a dignified and effective process of searching for the missing and provide answers to families who have been waiting for decades,” participants concluded.

With financial support from the European Union, UNDP continues to support partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina in their efforts to build trust, strengthen institutional cooperation, and ensure access to truth and justice for all families of missing persons, in line with human rights principles and transitional justice.