The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has decided to create a preparatory committee to lay the groundwork for the operation of the International Claims Commission for Ukraine.
How the International Claims Commission will work
The International Claims Commission will be the second part of a comprehensive compensation mechanism related to Russia’s war of aggression, building on the existing Register of Damage for Ukraine.
The claims commission will review, assess and decide upon claims that are currently being submitted to the register and determine the amount of compensation – if any – that is due in each case.
The commission will be established once the Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine has been ratified by 25 signatories and sufficient funds have been secured to support its initial work.
Preparatory committee to prepare practical arrangements for claims commission
The preparatory committee will prepare proposals and practical arrangements for the claims commission, including rules of procedure for its different bodies and a provisional budget for the first financial year.
The preparatory committee will consist of representatives of those countries and organisations which have signed the convention establishing the claims commission. Other countries and regional organisations may be invited to join the preparatory committee as observers.
The first meeting of the preparatory committee is likely to take place before the summer of 2026.
Like the Register of Damage for Ukraine, the International Claims Commission will form part of the institutional framework of the Council of Europe. The register’s work will be transferred to the claims commission once the latter is established.
In adopting the statute of the preparatory committee, the Council of Europe has followed up on the request of the diplomatic conference held in The Hague on 15-16 December 2025.
The Committee of Ministers also welcomed the voluntary contribution to support the establishment of the claims commission announced by the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission at the conference.
The convention has so far been signed by 35 states plus the European Union.
The Council of Europe’s support for Ukraine
