Millions of people around the world are missing because of war, disasters, human rights abuses, organized crime, or irregular migration. Each missing person is not just a scientific challenge but also a deep personal tragedy for families, who often live with uncertainty for years. The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) is an intergovernmental organization tasked exclusively to work on the issue of missing persons. ICMP’s mission is based on science, the rule of law, and human rights. They use advanced forensic methods to find, recover, and identify missing persons and support families and institutions during the entire process.

ICMP is based in The Hague and uses a combination of fieldwork, data systems, and laboratory expertise to investigate missing persons cases. Their teams help governments create legal rules, set up evidence collection procedures, train forensic specialists, and keep databases that match family DNA references with unidentified remains. DNA analysis is at the core of their work, making it possible to identify people even when remains are badly damaged or very old. For example, after the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, ICMP helped identify over 70 % of the 40,000 missing people—one of the biggest DNA identification projects ever. This success changed what people thought was possible with DNA technology. Today, ICMP helps governments and communities all over the world—including Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America, and Asia—in situations like war, natural disasters, migration accidents, and even in peaceful times when people go missing.

Supporting this important work requires reliable and advanced laboratory technology. Promega Corporation is a key partner and ICMP’s DNA Laboratories use Promega’s instruments, chemicals, and workflows designed for difficult forensic cases. For example, Maxwell® instruments help extract DNA from challenging samples like bone powder or weathered tissue, while the Maxprep® Liquid Handler automates lab work, making large-scale casework faster and more accurate.

A major focus of ICMP DNA Lab’s work is obtaining usable DNA Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Profiles from degraded post-mortem samples.. Promega’s Spectrum CE System uses 8-dye STR chemistry, which can look at more parts of DNA at the same time and see results more clearly, even if the DNA is old or damaged. This helps ICMP scientists get the most information from each sample and makes it more likely to find a match between the remains and family DNA references. Promega also works on new tools that make DNA results even clearer and easier to understand, which is very important for court cases or official reports.

ICMP’s commitment to top-quality science, combined with Promega’s strong forensic tools, is a powerful partnership. Their teamwork shows how private companies and humanitarian organizations can work together for the greater good. Every time someone is identified, it gives families answers and helps bring dignity back to those who were lost. As the world faces new challenges, like wars or disasters caused by climate change, the need for accurate and large-scale human identification will only grow. By working together, ICMP and Promega show how modern science can give hope, justice, and answers to families around the world.

In July 2025, I had the great pleasure of spending two days in the forensic labs of the ICMP and producing a video showing the partnership of Promega and the ICMP.