Thirty-eight states and the European Union have already expressed intent to join
The Council of Europe emphasized the importance of engaging non-European states in the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression by the Russian Federation. The international legitimacy of the new judicial institution will directly depend on the breadth of geographic participation. This was reported by Ukrinform, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
The calls were made during a special event at the United Nations dedicated to protecting the rights of victims of the armed conflict. Gianluca Esposito, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law at the Council of Europe, emphasized the global nature of Russia’s unlawful actions.
International Legitimacy of the Judicial Body
The official noted that the future judicial body should not be viewed merely as a regional initiative of the European continent. The Council of Europe has already established the necessary institutional framework to launch the process, but the final status of the tribunal will depend on the number of partners beyond Europe.
The European representative called upon all governments that previously voted for the relevant UN General Assembly resolution to officially join the project. In addition to the tribunal itself, work is underway to staff the Claims Commission for damages caused by the aggression.
Agreement Between Ukraine and the Council of Europe
The respective agreement on establishing the institution along with its statute was signed in June 2025. To date, thirty-eight states and the European Union have announced their readiness to join the tribunal.
The Government of the Netherlands has confirmed its readiness to host the newly created body on its territory. Currently, the Council of Europe and the Dutch side are working on the legal, institutional, logistical, and budgetary conditions for its establishment.
Register of Damage in The Hague
Special attention was paid to the progress of the international compensation mechanism. The Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, operating in The Hague, has already received over 200,000 claims.
According to the official, the convention on the establishment of the Claims Commission has been signed by 40 states and the EU.
Photo: Ukrinform
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