“We need to lay the foundation for a just and lasting peace – we need to make progress in establishing a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. If we don’t, no one else will. Russia’s efforts to destroy Ukraine’s culture, language, symbols evidence the colonial nature of its aggression. We can neither bring back those killed in the war nor erase the trauma of war, but the international community can break this decades-long cycle of impunity,” emphasized the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, as she gave opening remarks at the meeting of the Core Group on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
The Deputy Head of Office of the President of Ukraine, Iryna Mudra, addressed the participants of the Core Group: “As to the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, we have finally made good progress this year – with the model, the draft statute, and we all expect we’ll make concrete steps forward today. Ukraine’s position is loud and clear – we will not compromise on justice. Not only our and your people will not understand this, but we would also leave the world in a fundamentally more dangerous state by cementing impunity and blowing the lid of a ‘Pandora’s box’ fully open for unimaginable atrocities.”
On 22 November 2024, Riga is hosting the 12th meeting of the Core Group on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. More than 90 international law experts representing 39 countries, European Union institutions and the Council of Europe continue discussions on the legal aspects relevant to the establishment of a Special Tribunal under the auspices of the Council of Europe.
At the end of the meeting, the Core Group participants will adopt the Vienna-Riga Statement, which reaffirms their commitment to continued working actively and effectively towards establishing a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. It is the first and, for now, the only document circulated to the general public that reflects and enshrines the compromises made so far at the Core Group meetings.
About the idea to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine
- It is essential to ensure that no international crime committed goes unpunished. At this point, the International Criminal Court cannot prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine, so this liability gap needs to be closed.
- The possibility of setting up a special tribunal within the framework of the Council of Europe under a bilateral agreement concluded between the Council of Europe and Ukraine is currently being assessed. Latvia strongly supports that. The draft statutes to lay down the substantive and procedural rules applicable to the Special Tribunal, are currently actively negotiated.
