Council of Europe Approves Draft Convention for International Claims Commission to Secure Justice for Ukraine

Council of Europe Approves Draft Convention for International Claims Commission to Secure Justice for Ukraine

The new International Claims Commission will be responsible for reviewing, assessing, and deciding upon compensation claims.

RMN News Political Desk
October 24, 2025

Strasbourg, 22 October 2025 – The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has taken a major step toward ensuring accountability and justice for Ukraine by approving a draft convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine. This approval marks another significant effort by the Council of Europe to hold the Russian Federation responsible for its war of aggression and ensure it bears the legal and economic consequences for the damage caused.

The International Claims Commission (ICC) will form the second component of a comprehensive compensation mechanism initially outlined in the Reykjavik Declaration of 2023. The mechanism is designed in three key steps:

Step 1: Collecting and Recording Claims

The first step involves the Register of Damage for Ukraine (RoD), which has been operational and collecting claims since early 2024. The Register’s function is to collect and record claims for compensation submitted by individuals, entities, and the State of Ukraine, along with supporting evidence. The Register categorizes, classifies, and organizes these claims, and its Board assesses their eligibility for inclusion.

To date, the Register has received approximately 65,000 claims. These claims cover a wide range of harm, including the deaths of family members, missing people, torture and injury, sexual violence, deprivation of liberty, and the involuntary displacement and forceful deportation of children and adults, as well as the destruction and damage to property.

It is important to note that while the Register records eligible claims, it does not evaluate the claims on their merits, determine their value, or assess the amounts due for compensation. The work of the Register will be incorporated into the Claims Commission as soon as possible after the commission is established.

Step 2: Assessing and Determining Compensation

The new International Claims Commission will be responsible for reviewing, assessing, and deciding upon compensation claims. Critically, the ICC will determine the amount of compensation, if any, that is due in each individual case.

For a claim to be considered by the ICC, the underlying facts must have occurred on or after February 24, 2022, and must have taken place on the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. Claims may concern damage suffered by natural persons, legal persons, or the State of Ukraine itself, including its regional and local authorities and state-owned or controlled entities.

Timeline and Entry into Force

The convention establishing the International Claims Commission is set to be adopted and opened for signature at a diplomatic conference scheduled for 16 December 2025, in The Hague.

The convention will enter into force after it receives 25 ratifications, provided that the associated financial commitments are sufficient to adequately support the commission’s initial operations. States, including nations that are not members of the Council of Europe, as well as the European Union, are eligible to become parties to the convention and subsequently become members of the commission.

Step 3: The Compensation Fund

The final step of the comprehensive international compensation mechanism is the establishment of a compensation fund. Discussions regarding this fund are ongoing, with interested parties currently exploring potential sources of funding that will be used to pay the damages determined and awarded by the Claims Commission.