6. Without prejudice to the obligation to continue the investigation until
the fate of the disappeared person has been clarified, each State Party shall
take the appropriate steps with regard to the legal situation of disappeared
persons whose fate has not been clarified and that of their relatives, in fields
such as social welfare, financial matters, family law and property rights.
7. Each State Party shall guarantee the right to form and participate
freely in organizations and associations concerned with attempting to establish
the circumstances of enforced disappearances and the fate of disappeared
persons, and to assist victims of enforced disappearance.
Article 25
1. Each State Party shall take the necessary measures to prevent and
punish under its criminal law:
(a) The wrongful removal of children who are subjected to enforced
disappearance, children whose father, mother or legal guardian is subjected to
enforced disappearance or children born during the captivity of a mother
subjected to enforced disappearance;
(b) The falsification, concealment or destruction of documents attesting
to the true identity of the children referred to in subparagraph (a) above.
2. Each State Party shall take the necessary measures to search for
and identify the children referred to in paragraph 1 (a) of this article and to
return them to their families of origin, in accordance with legal procedures and
applicable international agreements.
3. States Parties shall assist one another in searching for, identifying
and locating the children referred to in paragraph 1 (a) of this article.
4. Given the need to protect the best interests of the children referred to
in paragraph 1 (a) of this article and their right to preserve, or to have reestablished, their identity, including their nationality, name and family relations
as recognized by law, States Parties which recognize a system of adoption or
other form of placement of children shall have legal procedures in place to
review the adoption or placement procedure, and, where appropriate, to annul
any adoption or placement of children that originated in an enforced
disappearance.
5. In all cases, and in particular in all matters relating to this article, the
best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration, and a child who is
capable of forming his or her own views shall have the right to express those
views freely, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with
the age and maturity of the child.
Part II
Article 26
1. A Committee on Enforced Disappearances (hereinafter referred to as
“the Committee”) shall be established to carry out the functions provided for
under this Convention. The Committee shall consist of ten experts of high
moral character and recognized competence in the field of human rights, who
shall serve in their personal capacity and be independent and impartial. The
members of the Committee shall be elected by the States Parties according to
equitable geographical distribution. Due account shall be taken of the
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