Kozarev Opens Exhibition on Missing Persons in Geneva

23. Mar 2026.
The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dušan Kozarev, who headed the delegation of the Republic of Serbia, opened an exhibition on missing persons entitled “Memories” at the United Nations Office at Geneva, in the Palais des Nations.

The exhibition was organized at the initiative of the Commission for Missing Persons, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. The display will be presented at the UN premises in Switzerland from 23 to 27 March 2026.

A special contribution and significant role in the preparation of this event was made by associations representing the families of missing persons, including the Coordination of Serbian Associations of Families of Missing, Killed and Deceased Persons from the territory of the former Yugoslavia, the “Sorrow” Association, and the Association of Families of Kidnapped and Missing Persons in Kosovo and Metohija. The exhibition features illustrations depicting families whose members were killed or remain missing.

In his address, Kozarev emphasized that the exhibition focuses on the suffering of Serbian families whose loved ones were killed or are still listed as missing during the armed conflicts in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

He recalled that Serbia continues to attach immense importance to resolving the issue of missing persons, noting that more than 9,500 individuals in the region are still unaccounted for. Led by President Aleksandar Vučić, Serbia remains committed to regional cooperation aimed at providing answers to families and contributing to reconciliation and stability.

Kozarev underlined that the exhibition reflects the strong international standing of the Republic of Serbia, and, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Minister Marko Đurić, expressed sincere appreciation to the organizations and institutions that supported the realization of this initiative, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations Development Programme, and the European Union.

He also conveyed gratitude to the United Nations Office at Geneva and to Ms. Lidiya Grigoreva, Chief of Cabinet to the Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva, for their presence and remarks at this event of particular importance, as well as to all members of the UN team in Geneva.

Veljko Odalović, Chairman of the Commission for Missing Persons, also addressed the audience. The event was attended by the Ambassador of Serbia to Switzerland, Ivan Trifunović, the Head of the Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN in Geneva, Bojan Vujić, as well as representatives of other states.