Paths to Closure: Families and Societies Facing the Legacy of the Missing

According to the International Commission on Missing Persons, 1,591 people from the Kosovo war remain unaccounted for, out of 6,063 initially reported missing. While these numbers suggest progress, the pursuit of truth and accountability must remain a moral and practical priority.

Yet, many families still await closure, facing multiple obstacles. Investigations into suspected burial sites remain incomplete or undisclosed, slowed by limited forensic resources, seasonal constraints, and bureaucracy. Political factors also affect cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia, while access to wartime archives is restricted, many records remain classified, fragmented, or destroyed, with declassification tied to political negotiations.

Without a binding legal mechanism, progress depends largely on political will within the EU-facilitated dialogue, where the issue is often sidelined and families excluded. Nearly 1,600 cases remain unresolved. Families continue to live in limbo, with unresolved grief, scarce support, and politicized remembrance.

To address these challenges and honor the memory of the missing, NGO Aktiv, Pro Peace Kosovo, and MPRC are organizing a panel discussion with family representatives and civil society from Kosovo. The event will highlight current efforts, explore possibilities for cooperation, and reaffirm the humanitarian imperative to resolve the fate of the missing.

EVENT DETAILS

Title: Paths to Closure – Families and Societies Facing the Legacy of the Missing
Date: 25 September 2025
Time: 11:00
Location: Civic Energy Center, North Mitrovica

AGENDA

11:00 – 11:15 | Opening Remarks

• Welcoming inputs by organizers, and introductions

• Miodrag Milicevic, NGO Aktiv
• Natasa Bozilovic, Missing Persons Resource Center
• Nehari Sharri, Pro Peace Kosovo

11:15 – 11:30 | Setting the Context

• Overview of the current situation on the issue of missing persons from the last war in Kosovo;
• Ongoing efforts and challenges

11:30 – 13:00 | Panel Discussion

• EULEX
• Institute of Forensic Medicine (TBC)
• Negovan Mavric, Missing Persons Resource Center
• EUSR (TBC)

Moderator: Ivana Petronić Vanovac, journalist

Topics:

• Personal testimonies and shared concerns
• Obstacles to resolving cases: politics vs. humanitarian needs
• Building trust and cooperation between families and institutions
• Joint advocacy and awareness strategies
• Practical next steps and follow-up actions

13:00 | Closing Reflections

Translation will be provided in Serbian, Albanian, and English.

The event is organized with the participation of Kosovo Albanian and Serbian Families of the Wartime Missing, whose voices remain at the heart of this process.