The discussion centered on accountability for crimes committed in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
The International Bar Association has spearheaded a side event tackling accountability for crimes committed in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Legal experts, diplomats, and policymakers gathered in Geneva to discuss synergies between global initiatives to progress and ensure accountability. The discussion concentrated on the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine’s full establishment; the tribunal is grounded on the legal mandate designed to tackle the leadership crime of aggression.
The crime is not completely prosecutable in Ukraine’s case per the International Criminal Court’s current jurisdictional constraints. The STCA initiative falls within the Council of Europe’s framework and is founded on established legal frameworks; it also complements the ICC.
Per the IBA, international backing is consolidating around the tribunal’s establishment; legal and diplomatic actors are working together to align mandates and avoid duplicating accountability mechanisms. Other significant discussion points included the setup of practical cooperation avenues among global institutions to boost the collective response to impunity, such as evidence sharing, complementarity with current investigations, and alignment with mechanisms like the UN-mandated Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.
The Permanent Missions of Ukraine, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Moldova, and the Council of Europe co-organized the IBA event, which was co-sponsored by 25 UN member states and the European Union delegation.
“Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine constitutes one of the most egregious violations of international law since the Second World War. The Special Tribunal is an essential element of the legal response,” said Mark Ellis, IBA executive director, in a statement. “While the architecture for accountability is now in place, it requires coordinated action, political will and sustained commitment to become fully operational. The event at UNHRC61 demonstrated that the international community is moving from principle to practical implementation.”
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova to the UN in Geneva, H E Mr Vladimir Cuc, opened the IBA event.
