The European Union has expressed full support for the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria (IIMP) and called on the Syrian transitional government to deepen cooperation with the body, including through a Memorandum of Understanding and the establishment of an IIMP office in Syria. In a statement delivered on 22 July 2026 at the UN General Assembly informal briefing by IIMP Head Ms. Quintana, the EU welcomed the progress made by Syria's National Commission for Missing Persons and stressed that ongoing work strands should be complementary, not competitive. The EU also voiced concern over continued disappearances in various parts of the country and urged all relevant actors to cooperate efficiently with the IIMP, bridging gaps in communication and information sharing.
The statement, delivered on behalf of the EU and its 27 member states, also aligned with candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and EFTA state Norway, as well as Armenia, Andorra and San Marino. The EU praised the IIMP's victim-centred approach and the role of families and civil society, calling it key to a do-no-harm approach and broader transitional justice in Syria through a Syrian-led process. The EU encouraged the newly formed Syrian People's Assembly to advance transitional justice and establish the necessary legal framework.
Reiterating its commitment to Syria's transition, the EU recalled that in November 2025 it organised the first Day of Dialogue in Syria, bringing together over 300 representatives, and intends to convene a second such event later in 2026. The EU pledged continued support for transitional justice and accountability mechanisms, which it described as key for national reconciliation and building a peaceful, stable, inclusive and democratic Syria.