“The struggle of the Ukrainian people to defend their country cannot leave us indifferent. The tragic reality we are witnessing today in the heart of Europe requires greater efforts to restore peace in our region. Gross violations of international norms must not go unanswered,” said Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili at the Hague Forum.
Today in The Hague, the foundation was laid for a new convention under the auspices of the Council of Europe to establish an International Claims Commission for Ukraine. The commission will constitute the second component of the compensation mechanism related to Russia’s war of aggression and will be based on the existing Register of Damage for Ukraine.
Georgia is among the founding states of the convention.
“We have gathered here to take another step on behalf of the international community toward creating the necessary legal mechanisms. Ukraine must have appropriate instruments to obtain compensation for the damage inflicted on the country and its people as a result of this unjust war. Georgia, as a founding member of the Register of Damage, welcomes this further step toward the establishment of the International Claims Commission,” Bochorishvili said.
According to her, Georgia understands better than many how vital the protection of international norms is and knows from its own experience the severe humanitarian cost of unpunished injustice, including the forced displacement of civilians, the destruction of homes, and the deep scars left on society when accountability is absent.
“Even today, we continue to pursue the use of existing legal mechanisms to ensure that the violated rights of our citizens resulting from Russia’s occupation of two regions of Georgia are not forgotten. Despite multiple rulings by international courts holding Russia accountable to Georgia, it continues to disregard international law and its obligations. This is precisely why it is essential to assess the effectiveness of existing mechanisms and take appropriate steps to ensure that justice is enforced,” Bochorishvili stated.
She added that Georgia remains committed to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and values strong international support in this direction.
“A consolidated response by the international community can have a significant impact. Georgia expresses solidarity with the Ukrainian people. We support Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and right to justice,” Bochorishvili said.
On December 16, leaders from Europe and other regions gathered at the World Forum in The Hague and signed the founding convention of the International Claims Commission for Ukraine.
High level participants included Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, and Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
The Register of Damage for Ukraine, established in 2023 and serving as the basis for the new mechanism, records compensation claims submitted by individuals, organizations, and public authorities in Ukraine. More than 80,000 claims have already been submitted to the register, which includes 44 states and the European Union as members.
Official negotiations on the International Claims Commission were launched this year by the Netherlands and Ukraine with the support of the Council of Europe. More than 50 interested states and the European Union worked on drafting the Council of Europe convention providing for the creation of the commission. The convention is open for signature by other states and regional organizations.
The International Claims Commission will examine, assess, and decide on claims submitted to the Register of Damage for Ukraine and determine the amount of compensation to be awarded in each case. The founding convention will enter into force once it is ratified by 25 signatories, provided that sufficient funding is secured to support the commission’s initial operations.