PETALING JAYA: A group of United Nations (UN) human rights experts is calling countries around the world to stop enforced disappearances instead of turning a blind eye.

The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) expressed concern over the global trend of deteriorating human rights underlined by worrisome developments in the area of enforced disappearances.

WGEID chairperson Bernard Duhaime said countries were increasingly using extraterritorial abductions, as well as adopting regressive legislation and measures.

“A number of states are also increasingly justifying the use of enforced disappearances under the pretext of combating terrorism, including through the adoption of legal provisions that facilitate the occurrence of enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention.

“The silence and lack of reaction on the part of the international community could be interpreted as a normalisation of these practices, which are in clear breach of international human rights law.

"WGEID finds these trends extremely concerning, ” he said.

Duhaime made his statement after presenting the group’s latest annual report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday (Sept 12).

In addition to the annual report, he also presented a report on WGEID's visit to Ukraine, as well as follow-up reports on its recommendations after previous visits to Peru and Sri Lanka.

“We stand ready to assist these governments in the implementation of the recommendations made following our visits to their countries, ” he concluded.