Online Disaster Victim Recovery Form

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Fact sheets Disaster Victim Identification      (Acrobat files)

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The first Interpol Manual on Disaster Victim Identification was published in 1984, as the outcome of two years' work by the Organization's Standing Committee on Disaster Victim Identification which set up a special working party on the subject.

Since that time, many disasters have occurred throughout the world and the Standing Committee has recommended that the content of the manual be re-examined to take into account the experience acquired and of the developments in identification techniques.

The manual has accordingly been reviewed and revised, resulting in the publication of the present 'Disaster Victim Identification Guide' which is now being circulated to all Interpol member countries. It is hoped that it will contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of disaster handling in general and of identification procedures in particular. It is designed to encourage the compatibility of procedures across international boundaries, which is essential in these days of ever-increasing world travel.

The recommendations in this Guide cannot address every possible eventuality but they give sound practical advice on major issues of victim identification, underlining the importance of pre-planning and training. Such preparation, and an awareness of the many potential demands and difficulties with which police services may be faced, will undoubtedly contribute to successful operations, and thus benefit all involved including victims, relatives and the other agencies with which the police co-operate when disasters occur.