Representatives of the States working to establish a Claims Commission for Ukraine gathered in The Hague for the third round of negotiations on the draft convention that will serve as the foundation for the Commission, marking another important step forward in the process.

Building on the momentum of previous meetings, delegations continued their constructive discussions on key provisions of the future convention, further advancing work on the legal, institutional, and procedural framework for the Commission.

The convention will establish a Claims Commission – an administrative body mandated to assess claims for damage caused by the Russian Federation’s internationally wrongful acts in or against Ukraine.

The Claims Commission will build on the essential work of the Register of Damage for Ukraine. While the Register collects and records claims and evidence of damage, the Commission will be responsible for reviewing the merits of claims and determining the amount of compensation due in each case.

The negotiations are held under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee (INC), which includes over 50 states, the European Union, and the Council of Europe. The Committee is chaired by Mr René Lefeber, Legal Advisor and Head of the International Law Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

In accordance with its Statute, the Register of Damage for Ukraine facilitates and participates in the work to establish the Claims Commission. Mr Markiyan Kliuchkovskyi, Executive Director of the Register, serves as Secretary of the INC.

During the meeting it was agreed that the Claims Commission should be established under the auspices of the Council of Europe, and that the convention should take the form of an Open Council of Europe Convention.

The next round of negotiations is scheduled for September, with the aim of finalising the draft convention and beginning preparations for its adoption and signing – potentially before the end of the year.