KATHMANDU: On the eve of the International Day of the Disappeared, embassies of 10 various countries in Nepal have urged the government for early formation of a commission to look into the status of those disappeared during the conflict. August 30 marks the International Day of the Disappeared.

"More than 1,200 people -- victims of the state security forces as well as of the People's Liberation Army of the Maoist -- went missing during the war. To this day, their whereabouts and fate remain unknown," said a joint press statement issued today by the embassies of Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, UK and USA, quoting International Committee of the Red Cross.

The embassies also called on the government to meet its commitment to establish a Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances, with legislation that fully meets international standards and complies with the Supreme Court's ruling of June 2007.

"We call upon the UCPN-Maoist to make known the fate of individuals who were abducted by their cadres during the conflict and to cooperate with investigations into these cases. Those Maoist cadres, against whom there are charges of involvement in disappearances, should be made available to the authorities," the diplomatic missions urged.

The government is also urged to demonstrate accountability by allowing authorities to take action against the Nepali Army and other security personnel involved in disappearances. "The government should also ensure that the Nepali Army complies with police and court orders to hand over all documents relating to the killing of Maina Sunuwar. We remain concerned that the Nepal Police has not acted on the outstanding arrest warrant for Babi Khatri and others implicated in the Sunuwar case," read the statement.

The embassies also urged the Nepali Army and the Maoists to fully cooperate each other on cases of disappearances, including the well-documented cases of Bardiya, which has prolonged the anguish of relatives and subsequently delayed justice. During the insurgency, Bardiya recorded many disappearance cases than any other districts.