Two forensic experts from Chile completed today a three-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose aim was to get acquainted with the work of ICMP.
They held several meetings with the staff of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).
The visit reflects the need for a global response to a global challenge of the issue of missing persons where ICMP has a leading role.
Servicio Médico Legal (SML) is the leading agency whose task is the identification of several thousand people who have disappeared in Chile during the military dictatorship in the period from 1973 to 1990.
The Chilean government implements a systematic and lawful approach to finding the missing persons, as well as addressing the social tensions that have arisen due to human rights violations during this period.
ICMP has cooperated with SML since 2008 on testing of 2,432 blood samples for DNA analysis, as well as 194 bone samples, and has provided technical support in the process of verification of matching DNA samples.
The visit of SML forensic experts, Macarena Arias and Jorge Pinares, was supported by the Embassy of Chile in Hungary, which is responsible for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
ICMP Director General Kathryne Bomberger met with members of the Chilean delegation.
“Cooperation between ICMP and Chilean forensic community has enabled the exchange of professional and technical capacities which is financially justified and which at the same time increases the work efficiency. ICMP appreciates determination and dedicated approach of the Chilean government to this issue,” said Bomberger.
Members of the delegation were informed about the existence of a single ICMP’s Forensic Database Management System, as well as the work and experience of this organization in the field of forensic anthropology, and forensic archeology.
In addition to visiting ICMP laboratory for DNA analysis in Sarajevo, the Chilean delegation also visited Podrinje Identification Project, as well as ICMP’s Identification Coordination Division in Tuzla.
During the visit, Chilean experts informed their colleagues from ICMP about the efforts being invested in Chile in consolidation of an effective and sustainable system of locating and identifying missing persons, the ICMP announced.
(Source: Fena/ photo nbcnews.com)
