Norway has finalised the ratification of the Council of Europe convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine.

Norway’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, Ambassador Vebjørn Heines, today deposited the instrument of ratification, in the presence of Deputy Secretary General Tanja Gonggrijp. Eight countries have now ratified the convention, as well as the European Union.

The Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine was opened for signature at a diplomatic conference co-hosted by the Council of Europe and the Netherlands in The Hague on 16 December 2025. 

Ratification is needed by 25 countries or regional integration organisations for the convention to enter into force, alongside sufficient financial commitments to support its initial work. As of today, there are 40 signatories to the convention. Eight states, including Norway, and the EU have also ratified it.

The International Claims Commission will be the second part of a comprehensive compensation mechanism for victims of the Russian Federation’s war of aggression.

It will build upon the existing Register of Damage for Ukraine and operate as an independent administrative body within the framework of the Council of Europe.

Once established, the claims commission will review, assess and decide upon claims recorded in the register and determine the amount of compensation due in each case.