Excellencies,

RD4U represents one of the biggest meetings of minds of States on the issue of accountability for the war of aggression against Ukraine. RD4U is the first organisation specifically created to address the consequences of the war in accordance with international law.

International law is unequivocal – a state that violates international law is under a legal duty to make full reparation.

Responding to the call of the UN General Assembly expressed in the resolution on Furtherance of remedy and reparation for aggression against Ukraine, supported by 94 states from all around the globe, the Register of Damage for Ukraine was established under the auspices of the Council of Europe in May 2023.

Less than a year later, in April 2024, at the Restoring Justice for Ukraine conference in The Hague, we announced the commencement of our main operation – collecting claims for compensation of damage caused by the war from Ukrainians.

Building an entirely new mechanism, with bespoke new systems takes time. And yet today, we have thousands of claims submitted to the Register, with almost 100,000 files with evidence. We are building organisational muscle and growing every day – and we expect many, many more claims. We have committed to be fully operational – at full capacity, with all categories open for submission of claims – within a year of our initial launch, in April 2025, and we stand by that commitment.

Reviewing the claims submitted to us, we can literally see evidence of damage and destruction – not in an abstract way, but as a stark reminder that devastation of cities like Mariupol, Bakhmut, Kupyansk and many others – is not just a statistical compilation, behind every missile or artillery shell that lands in Ukraine, there is someone’s home, someone’s lives and livelihoods.

So, we continue our work daily, with our sleeves rolled up to ensure fair relief and remedy for the victims.

We are encouraged and inspired to receive so much support and assistance from all our member States, including, of course, Ukraine and our Host State, the Netherlands. We do not take this support for granted, and we truly appreciate it. We would also like to expand our membership as we truly represent a global effort.

As we immerse ourselves in this daily work, we are also mindful of the fact that the Register is just the first step on the path to fair reparations for Ukraine, the path that is made more complicated by Russia’s disregard for international law. The Register of Damage makes no sense without a further step – a claims commission – a body that will examine all the claims the Register collects and determines compensation due in each case.

As Minister Veldkamp has mentioned, the talks on an international instrument to establish a claims commission for Ukraine are well underway. In accordance with its Statute, the Register is proud to participate and facilitate these talks. We particularly note that the circle of States participating in these discussions in growing, and has now reached 55, representing all the corners of the world. The next meeting will take place in The Hague in November, and we invite all the willing states to join it. We are proud to support this work and its urgency.

There is much work ahead of us. In tackling these difficult matters, we are driven by the values of international law, justice, and accountability. We pursue this work in defence of the principles laid down in the UN Charter. And we will not rest until we can say: Justice has been done.

Thank you.