The first meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee on an International Treaty to establish a Claims Commission for Ukraine (INC) took place in The Hague from 24 to 26 March 2025. The meeting, hosted by the Netherlands and Ukraine, marked a significant step towards the establishment of a comprehensive compensation mechanism to ensure fair reparation for loss, damage and injury resulting from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
More than 50 states from all continents and the European Union participated in the meeting, as well as the Council of Europe, ensuring broad cross-regional representation and strong international commitment to the establishment of the Claims Commission. This body will be mandated to examine claims for compensation of damage now being submitted to the Register of Damage for Ukraine and determine any amount of compensation due in each case.
During the meeting, the INC elected Mr. René Lefeber, Legal Advisor and Head of the International Law Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as its Chair. Mr. Lefeber expressed gratitude to the Committee for the trust placed in him. Additionally, Mr. Markiyan Kliuchkovskyi, Executive Director of the Register of Damage for Ukraine, was appointed by the INC as its Secretary.
The Committee engaged in extensive discussions on the draft treaty for the establishment of the Claims Commission, which had been elaborated over the course of four preparatory meetings held in the preceding months. The INC accepted the draft treaty as the basis for formal negotiations and commenced negotiations of its text. This revised text will serve as the foundation for further work at the second meeting of the INC scheduled for May 2025.
The continued negotiations reflect the commitment of the participants to establishing an effective mechanism for addressing claims related to damage and losses suffered by Ukraine. The second meeting of the INC is expected to further refine the treaty text, ensuring a robust and effective framework for the Claims Commission's future operations.
The Register of Damage for Ukraine, in accordance with its Statutes, facilitates and participates in the work to establish the Claims Commission for Ukraine.
