At its first meeting, the preparatory committee decided to hold exchanges of views with civil-society organisations working on the rights of victims in the context of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine.

These exchanges are intended to foster meaningful dialogue and to take into consideration views from civil society as part of the preparatory process for the International Claims Commission.

The exchanges of views will take place in a hybrid format, either in person (in the Netherlands) or online, without entitlement to defrayal of expenses. The first exchange is scheduled to take place in November 2026.

Civil-society organisations working on the rights of victims in the context of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine are invited to express their interest in participating in the exchanges of views to the Secretariat of the Preparatory Committee by completing the online form (see link below) by 1 October 2026.

In their submission, organisations are asked to describe their subject-matter relevance, outline their reasons for wishing to participate, indicate whether they have previously worked with the Council of Europe, including with the Register of Damage for Ukraine and the Register’s Civil Society Coordination Platform, and specify whether they would prefer to attend in person or online and whether they seek to participate individually or as part of a group or coalition.

The secretariat will review all requests, taking into account both the subject-matter relevance of the organisation and logistical constraints. Owing to these constraints, it may be necessary to limit the number of civil-society representatives participating in person. Priority may be given to well-established organisations with demonstrated expertise, thereby able to effectively contribute to the exchanges, and to representatives of groups or coalitions.

Organisations granted participation in these exchanges will be notified in October 2026 and will receive further practical details, including the dates and of the exchanges.

Online form to apply to participate in the exchanges of views with civil-society organisations