The file of detainees, abductees and missing persons is one of the key priorities of the Special Envoy, based on purely humanitarian grounds, but also as an essential confidence-building measure. Efforts are ongoing to scale up and prioritize action on this file through consultations with the Syrian parties and civil society organisations by the Special Envoy and the Deputy Special Envoy. The office is also a member of a Working Group on the Release of Detainees/Abductees, the Handover of Bodies and the Identification of Missing Persons, which also includes Iran, the Russian Federation and Turkey. The Special Envoy and Deputy Special Envoy have consistently underlined the need for meaningful progress on this file, and continue to call on all parties to engage in unilateral releases, move beyond “one for one’ exchanges, and speed up and scale up the release of women, children, the sick and the elderly.