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PhD Researcher Salvador Leyva Morelos Zaragoza of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law, University of Galway, presented his research on enforced disappearances at two international conferences in early September.

Salvador participated in the 2026 INCORE Annual Conference, held at Ulster University’s Derry campus from 30 August to 1 September. The conference, organised by INCORE in collaboration with the Journal of Disappearance Studies, brought together academics, practitioners, policymakers, artists, families of disappeared persons and advocacy organisations to examine the social, political, cultural, legal and economic dimensions of disappearance. The conference was opened by Professor Élise Féron, Director of INCORE and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Disappearance Studies.

As part of Panel 3, “Disappearances and International Law,” Salvador presented “Enforced disappearances committed by non-state actors: Developments in the Inter-American human rights jurisprudence.” His presentation examined the distinction between State participation and State responsibility in cases of enforced disappearance, with particular attention to the direct and indirect involvement of non-State actors. It analysed the approach of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to cases involving, among others, paramilitary groups and alleged State acquiescence, as well as the evidentiary and contextual considerations used by the Court to establish State participation. The presentation also considered contemporary forms of disappearance and possible approaches for addressing them under international law. Salvador additionally chaired Panel 8, “Institutional Logics of Disappearances.”

Salvador also participated online in the IV International Congress on Human Rights organised by the Faculty of Law of the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina. The congress, entitled “International Law and Human Rights in the Face of Contemporary Challenges,” brought together 84 speakers over two days to discuss contemporary challenges in international human rights law. Salvador was the only representative of an Irish university participating in the congress.

As part of Theme 2: “Jurisprudence of International Tribunals,” Salvador presented “Is There a Concept of Disappearance in International Law? An Approach from the Inter-American System, the Committee on Enforced Disappearances and the International Criminal Court.” His contribution examined the concept of disappearance across different international legal frameworks, with a particular focus on the jurisprudence and approaches of the Inter-American system, the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances and the International Criminal Court.

The two conference contributions form part of Salvador’s ongoing doctoral research at the Irish Centre for Human Rights on the development of international law concerning enforced disappearances, with particular attention to the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the implementation of its judgments. His PhD is supervised by Dr Edel Hughes and Dr Róisín Mulgrew.