FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY SUSTAINABLE GOALS

Abstract

The Importance of promoting Human Rights in the Recovery and Identification of Missing and Unidentified persons was presented at 9th International Dental Ethics and Law Society (IDEALS) congress in 2012 and was first introduced in May 2013 at the annual meeting of the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) conference organized by Interpol in Lyon. Dr. Emilio Nuzzolese, participating odontologist of the Interpol Forensic Odontology working group, highlighted the need to apply the highest identification standards and Interpol guidelines to all unidentified human remains, equally in a DVI scenario as well as in a single missing and unidentified person.  In 2015 these concepts also inspired the creation of an international group of odontologists from twelve Countries called ‘Forensic Odontology for Human Rights’. The group began promoting the need to protect the human rights of the dead to have a name and an identity by participating in conferences and meetings, and through publications and training at most international forensic events. The mentoring of colleagues with the goal of promoting an authentic involvement of forensic odontology in the identification process was also instigated. The continuous growth of the group, along with the need to involve forensic experts from other disciplines, led to the constitution of the Association Forensic Odontology for Human Rights (AFOHR) and the inauguration of humanitarian forensic odontology. Having become a recognized voluntary organization in the context of humanitarian forensics, in 2019 AFOHR board members discussed the steps needed to achieve the rights of having a date of birth and an identity for every deceased individual. Eight forensic odontology sustainable goals were approved: human rights of the dead; human identification action; international partnership; human forensic odontology; strong forensic odontology; human identification kit; quality age determination; dental evidence in crimes against vulnerable persons. Under the auspices of AFOHR that aim is to inspire colleagues and forensic associations to the best administration of Justice for best practices in human identification and age estimation.