A United States proposal for an International Bureau for Declarations of Death, to be set up within the United Nations framework by Secretary-General Trygve Lie, was adopted here by a vote of 15 to 0, with ten abstantions, at a special conference on legal problems arising from the fact that millions of persons are missing as a result of the war and Nazi persecution since 1939.
Any tribunal that receives an application to declare such a person dead would notify the new bureau, so that the bureau might publish this fact and determine whether an application has been made elsewhere. Tribunals would also notify the bureau of their decisions.
The bureau would publish a monthly list of applications and final decisions, and would notify relatives accordingly. No declaration of death would be issued until three months after notice of an application had been published by the bureau.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
