Even though enforced disappearances (ED) continue to occur in different contexts worldwide, the search for the victims of ED has received limited attention from both research and policy. This multidisciplinary research project, which started in January 2019 and ended in March 2021, explored the foundations and practical implementation of the search for victims of ED, from a legal, a psychosocial and a political perspective in the two case study countries of Colombia and El Salvador.

Taking into account that several actors are generally involved in search efforts, in addition to the official search mechanisms, the project focused particularly on the role of the next of kin, specifically families and civil society organizations (CSOs). Families have specific needs in the process as they are affected by ED on numerous levels. They suffer psychologically from not knowing the fate or whereabouts of their loved ones; economically they are marginalized as it is often the breadwinner who has been disappeared; and socially they suffer from marginalization. As it is difficult for families to make themselves heard by government authorities and official search mechanisms, they often rely on the support of CSOs. Besides other links with the search process, the next of kin and CSOs contribute important information to the search or even the act of ED itself in the absence of governmental action. Given that successful search efforts are assumed to contribute to the restoration of trust and social ties, taking into account the needs of families in the search process is crucial. The results of the research project prove invaluable both in terms of increasing our understanding of how search processes take place and of how they could be improved to respond to victims’ needs.