As delivered by Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Acknowledgements
Good morning, everybody, and thank you, Professor Hand, for the kind introduction.
I am pleased to be back in Dublin. And it is an honour to share the stage with Minister Byrne and Deputy Ambassador of Ukraine Dmytro Shchedin.
Having you both here speaks volumes about Ireland’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine and the resilience of the Ukrainian people —
three years into an illegal war of aggression that has challenged the global order and the place of Europe in it.
Let me thank the President of Dublin City University, Professor Keogh, for hosting us.
I also want to commend the Dublin European Law Institute, under the leadership of Professor Fabbrini, for bringing us together at a crucial time for Ukraine and for Europe.
I would also like to thank an old friend, Dr Andrew Forde.
OPENING
To borrow the words of Mary Robinson, Ireland’s first woman president and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, spoken at another defining moment for our continent:
we need to “articulate self-definition at a time of
re-definition.”
Because that is exactly where we find ourselves today.
It can be tempting to see this pivotal period only through today’s headlines.
Let me briefly quote some of them:
- “Trump and Putin stun Europe with peace plan for Ukraine”
- “Europe is not at the table in Ukraine peace talks”
- “Now is the time for Europe really to step up on Ukraine.”
Each day brings new speculation — who will shape peace, who will decide Ukraine’s future, what will a peace look like.
Just this week, not one but two resolutions from the UN General Assembly called for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the United Nations Charter.
One thing is crystal clear: Ukraine must have a seat at the table, and Europe’s voice must be heard.
Accountability: a cornerstone of lasting peace
But underneath the headlines, beyond the uncertainty and divisions of the moment, we need to take the long view.
Because history has taught us that — and in the end — accountability is what truly matters.
Europeans know this firsthand.
We have learned the lesson and paid a heavy price throughout our history.
At the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavík in May 2023, Heads of State and Government, declared that “Without accountability, there can be no lasting peace.” They reaffirmed the need “for an unequivocal international legal response for all victims.”
The Council of Europe’s response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine was clear, swift and undeniable.
Within 24 hours after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, our Organisation moved to suspend the Russian Federation. Less than three weeks later, on 16 March, Russia was formally expelled.
Since then, Ukraine has been our top priority — and in particular accountability.
And for us, accountability is guided by three core principles:
- Compensating the victims for the destruction and suffering they have endured.
- Delivering justice by holding Russia accountable and making sure those responsible answer for their crimes.
- Strengthening Ukraine’s European future.
Compensating the victims
First, accountability begins with reparation.
Exactly on the eve of the war’s third anniversary, Russia launched its largest drone attack so far.
And as the war against Ukraine enters its fourth year, attacks on civilians, energy infrastructure, and medical facilities continue unabated.
In response to the destruction, the Council of Europe has – together with Ukraine - launched the Register of Damage for Ukraine — a multilateral response backed by the international community.
To date, we have received close to 13 000 claims for damage or destruction of residential housing.
A new claims category for the death of immediate family members was introduced recently, and we are now working on several other new claims categories.
You can imagine the hundreds of thousands of claims we will receive in the end.
Today, the Register is fully operational.
But it is not enough only to register the death and destruction — you also need to compensate the victims.
And the first step towards this is to establish a Claims Commission that can adjudicate these claims.
And in this regard, earlier this month, we saw momentum build toward adopting terms of reference for work on an open Council of Europe Convention — one that would allow the broadest possible international participation.
As the Council of Europe, we have both the expertise and the capacity to advance this process without delay.
Delivering justice
Second, there cannot be accountability without justice.
Although Russia is no longer a member of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights continues to hear and rule on cases against Russia through its residual jurisdiction.
This concerns violations committed before Russia ceased to be party to the European Convention on Human Rights. I see that former Court President O’Leary will present to you the Court’s role in this context later in the programme, so I will not go into details.
But let me just note that today, over 4 500 individual war-related applications are pending against Russia before the Court.
They include cases related to the conflict in Crimea and eastern Ukraine going back to 2014. Not to mention prominent inter-state cases.
Beyond that we have seen outrageous human rights violations since the start of the full scale Russian invasion.
And here is what that means in real terms.
- Russian forces have used torture systematically, in every occupied area.
- Witnesses speak of brutality without limits — one detainee recalled being beaten while his Russian captor said, “Nobody can stop me. I will do to you whatever I want.”
- Even those gravely wounded were denied care, left to suffer. A doctor told one Ukrainian prisoner, “You ought to die anyway.”
- And beyond the prisons, civilians have paid the price.
- Massive missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid plunged millions into darkness, but those suffering the most are the vulnerable, the sick and elderly.
These are real violations, documented by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine – established by the United Nations.
This is why accountability matters — and that is why we have been working to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
By “we,” I mean a core group bringing together senior legal experts from some 40 countries, including Ireland — working alongside the Ukrainian authorities, the European Commission, the European External Action Service, and the Council of Europe.
After 13 meetings the legal foundations are now agreed. This happened at a meeting in Brussels earlier this month.
The main focus is now to set up such a Special Tribunal through a treaty between Ukraine and the Council of Europe.
And I can guarantee you that we stand ready to support the efficient set-up of such tribunal in every way we can.
Now, it is up to the countries to cross the finish line and summon the political will to make this Special Tribunal a reality — with the final gathering of the group scheduled to take place in Strasbourg in March.
strengthening ukraine’s european future
Third, accountability is also about upholding human rights, democracy, and the rule of law — our common values.
And this is the essence of our Action Plan for Ukraine, a plan that stands for resilience, justice and dignity in the face of unimaginable adversity and Russian aggression.
Ukraine’s path toward a European future is clear, and the Council of Europe’s expertise is crucial in securing the reforms needed to achieve a future EU membership for Ukraine.
And concrete and substantial results have been achieved. Just to mention a few:
- GRECO – the Council of Europe expert anti-corruption body – recently noted progress in preventing corruption among parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors in Ukraine.
- In criminal law, Ukraine is aligning its legislation with international standards, including on war crimes and cybercrime.
- At the local level, we are helping municipalities keep services running and citizens engaged, launching Ukraine’s first-ever citizens’ assemblies.
- For children, we are supporting urgent efforts to identify and recover those who have been deported.
Ukraine’s children must be a top priority.
Earlier this month, Council of Europe Secretary General, Alain Berset, appointed Iceland’s former Foreign Minister Thórdís Gylfadóttir as his Special Envoy on the situation of children of Ukraine.
This sends the strong signal that rebuilding Ukraine begins with protecting its children, wherever they are.
All in all, our objective is simple: to help Ukraine reclaim its future and to restore human dignity to every Ukrainian, especially the most vulnerable amongst them.
***
closing
Ladies and gentlemen,
Each passing day, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine takes more lives, spreads more destruction, and further undermines the very foundations of international law and the rules-based order.
As a consequence, as well as for what we have seen in the Middle East, some may ask: is the respect for human rights at a modern low point?
It is a valid point to raise.
And then add what the UN Secretary-General António Guterres described so well in his remarkable speech in New York, last Fall.
His focus was on the opposite of accountability – the other side of the coin, if you like – IMPUNITY.
And the devasting impact impunity have in the world today.
He pointed out that : Impunity is politically indefensible and morally intolerable.
- And voiced his frustration that too many governments “trample international law, violate the UN Charter, and ignore human rights conventions.”
- And that they “invade other countries, devastate entire societies, and disregard the welfare of their own people.”
- And worst of all — nothing happens!
This is a massive challenge that we are facing today.
And it is intolerable.
Dear friends,
We need to continue to do our utmost to support Ukraine.
We need to ensure accountability and seek ways to eliminate impunity.
And last, but not least, we all want dialogue and mediation, and an end to the Russian aggression in Ukraine, but Ukraine needs to be at the table, and Europe’s voice needs to be heard.
These are the challenges before us today.
And we cannot look away.
cALL TO ACTION
Let me at the end also commend Ireland and Ukraine for making accountability an integral component of their bilateral co-operation agreement, signed last year between the Taoiseach (pronounced “TEE-shock”) and President Zelenskyy.
And as Ireland prepares for its Presidency of the European Council in 2026, let us use this opportunity to help ensure that accountability remains literally at the heart of everything we do — in Ukraine, in Europe and beyond.
Thank you!
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