On 22 November 2024, Riga will host the 12th meeting of the Core Group on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, opening remarks for which will be delivered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže. The meeting will be chaired by the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine, Iryna Mudra.
Since January 2023, the Core Group on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine has been discussing legal solutions to end impunity for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, with the aim of creating an effective Special Tribunal with the broadest cross-regional support.
Currently, none of the established mechanisms can ensure accountability for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Although the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over the crime of aggression in accordance with the Rome Statute, it cannot investigate and adjudicate the crime of aggression against Ukraine as the Russian Federation has not ratified the Rome Statute.
Therefore, together with other like-minded states, Latvia continues to call for the establishment of a special tribunal to close the accountability gap.