Assessing how facial identification methods can be applied reliably in complex, real-world missing persons investigations.

In armed conflicts, civilians and combatants go missing, leaving families uncertain about the fate of their loved one.

While primary forensic identifiers include DNA, fingerprints, and dental records, facial imagery is increasingly used as a secondary or supporting identifier for both living and deceased individuals.

This project involved supporting an international missing persons NGO to evaluate existing approaches to facial identification of missing persons, and to assess how these methods perform under real-world conditions.

The work included reviewing processes, defining training and competency requirements, and considering the role of biometric technologies in supporting identification efforts.