Aua Baldé, professor at Católica | Lisbon School of Law and PhD student and researcher at Católica Global School of Law, was elected Chair-Rapporteur of the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Remember that ​Aua was appointed as a member by the UN Human Rights Council in November 2020.

In this new capacity, Aua hopes, "together with the other members of the Working Group, to continue assisting the relatives of disappeared persons in establishing their fate and whereabouts, as well as to contribute to ending the practice of enforced disappearances globally".
 

It is also foreseen that the "Working Group will conduct a new thematic study on enforced disappearances in electoral contexts", for which Aua will be the main Rapporteur. The new thematic study aims at addressing and mitigating the practice of enforced disappearances before, during, and after elections.

During her tenure, Aua will also work "to continue to draw attention to the need for universal ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance", a highly relevant international legal instrument, whose level of ratification is still below expectations. For instance, "at the level of Portuguese-speaking countries, only Portugal and Brazil have ratified the Convention", a reality that she hopes will change soon.  

Later this month, Aua will present the annual report of the Working Group before the UN General Assembly in New York. 

Established more than 40 years ago, the Working Group continues to play an important role in the fight against enforced disappearances worldwide, serving as a channel of communication between families of disappeared persons and Governments.