President,

The issue of missing persons constitutes a critical dimension of the protection of civilians in armed conflict. In 2019, the Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2474, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to international humanitarian law and setting out clear requirements for the prevention and resolution of the issue of missing persons. 

Recent years have witnessed escalated turbulence on the global stage and rising geopolitical conflicts. According to the statistics of the International Committee of the Red Cross, more than 56,000 new missing person cases were registered globally in 2024, the highest increase in 20 years, and Resolution 2474 has not been effectively implemented. In Gaza, the ongoing Israeli offensive and blockade have persisted for 19 months. Over 50,000 Palestinian lives have been lost. Mass graves continue to be uncovered. And many innocent civilians remain buried under the rubble. In Sudan, armed conflict has displaced over 11.6 million people, with the ICRC alone registering more than 7,700 missing persons. In South Sudan, nearly 100 humanitarian workers have been killed, and dozens more were missing. In Haiti, rampant gang violence has led to frequently reported cases of missing civilians, particularly women and children. 

Behind these harrowing facts and staggering figures lie countless heartbreaking stories and shattered families, wives who have been searching for their missing husbands for decades, mothers digging through rubble with their bare hands desperately hoping to find their children. The international community must support affected countries in addressing the issue of missing persons and help every scarred family seek answers and find solace. I wish to share three observations. 

First, addressing the issue of missing persons must be guided by international humanitarian law. Any attacks against civilians and humanitarian workers are not acceptable. Parties to armed conflict bear the responsibility to search for the missing, collect, protect, and manage all relevant documents, clarify the whereabouts of the missing to their families, and facilitate family reunion. They must also ensure humanitarian access and provide necessary assistance to humanitarian workers. 

Second, addressing the issue of missing persons requires a focus on conflict prevention and resolution. As long as wars rage on, the tragedy of missing persons may recur. The Security Council must earnestly fulfill its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security by vigorously advancing dialogue and negotiation, promoting peaceful settlement of disputes, and preventing the outbreak of conflict in the first place. Parties to armed conflict are obligated to implement Council resolutions, achieve an early ceasefire and cessation of fighting, resolve differences through political negotiation, and ultimately eliminate the root causes of conflict. 

Third, to address the issue of missing persons, greater support must be extended to the countries concerned. On the basis of respecting the national sovereignty, the international community needs to engage information exchange and experiencing sharing with them, providing targeted assistance to strengthen their national capacities, including the use of advanced technologies to search for, locate, and identify missing persons. We support the ICRC and other international organizations in carrying out their work with neutrality, impartiality, and independence, and in playing their active part in addressing the issues concerned. 

China remains committed to working alongside the international community to advance the implementation of Resolution 2474 and to make unremitting efforts towards resolving the issue of missing persons in armed conflict.

Thank you, President.