On 16 December, 35 countries and the European Union signed a convention in The Hague establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine within the framework of the Council of Europe. The convention was signed on behalf of Estonia by Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After signing, the convention will be submitted to the Riigikogu (Estonian parliament) for ratification.
The task of the Commission is to assess the damage caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine and to determine the corresponding compensation amounts. The establishment of the Commission is an important step in holding Russia accountable, ensuring that Russia’s violations of international law and the devastating damage to the Ukrainian state, population and environment are fairly compensated.
In his speech at the conference, Jonatan Vseviov called on states to ratify the Convention quickly so that it can enter into force in time and the Commission can start working. The Convention will enter into force when it has been ratified by at least 25 signatories, whose contributions to the budget are sufficient to ensure the sustainable financing of the Commission’s work.
The Claims Commission is the second pillar of the comprehensive international compensation mechanism for Ukraine. The first pillar, the Register of Claims also established within the framework of the Council of Europe, was established in May 2023 and is tasked with collecting and registering claims and supporting evidence, which can be submitted by both individuals and legal entities, as well as the Ukrainian state. As of now, over 80,000 claims have been registered in 13 categories.
The Claims Commission will begin to verify the legitimacy of registered claims and determine the amounts to be compensated. The final step in the compensation mechanism is to establish a compensation fund that will compensate Ukraine for the claims approved by the commission. “We need to find a real solution for financing the fund so that those who suffered from Russia’s war of aggression can be fairly compensated for their losses,” Vseviov said in his speech.
