Latvia signs Convention establishing International Claims Commission for Ukraine in The Hague

RIGA - Today, at a diplomatic conference in The Hague, Ambassador of Latvia to the Netherlands, Solvita Aboltina, signed on behalf of Latvia the Convention establishing the International Claims Commission for Ukraine, LETA learned from the Foreign Ministry.

The Ambassador of Latvia emphasized at the diplomatic conference: "Latvia will continue to support these efforts to ensure that victims receive meaningful compensation and that their suffering is not in vain. Every claim must be heard, every loss must be acknowledged, and the victims of Russian aggression must receive the justice they deserve."

The Claims Commission for Ukraine is an international mechanism that will operate in The Hague as an independent body within the European Council’s institutional framework. The Commission will examine claims for compensation for loss, damage, and injury caused by the Russian Federation’s internationally unlawful actions in Ukraine and determine the amount of compensation.

The Claims Commission is the next step after the Register of Damage, which has been accepting claims and documenting damages caused to Ukraine and its citizens since April 2, 2024. After the Convention enters into force, the Register of Damage will be incorporated into the Claims Commission. Once the Claims Commission is established, the third stage of the compensation mechanism will need to be set up: the fund for the payment of calculated compensation.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky participated in the diplomatic conference, and high-ranking officials from 35 countries signed the Convention. The Convention will enter into force once it has been ratified by 25 signatory states.

On November 14, 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution ES-11/5, which recognized that the Russian Federation is legally responsible for all violations of international law in Ukraine, including the obligation to provide reparations. The Resolution provides for the establishment of an international mechanism, in cooperation with Ukraine, to compensate for damage, harm, or injury caused by Russia’s internationally unlawful actions in Ukraine. The establishment of an International Claims Commission for Ukraine is an important step towards achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.