Memorandum of Ukrainian CSOs on Accountability for Grave Crimes Committed in Ukraine
11.04.2023
Ukrainian Civil society organisation sign Memorandum on Shared Guiding Principles on Accountability for Grave Crimes Committed in Ukraine.
We, ULAG, together with other Ukrainian civil society organisations support support shared principles on accountability for grave crimes committed in the context of the war Russia is waging against Ukraine.
Some of the key points of the Memorandum:
- We stand in solidarity with victims of other conflicts around the world. Ukraine must be at the forefront of developing an effective global architecture of justice, which victims from every situation deserve.
- Global voice of Civil Society must become a catalyst in this process
- Ukraine should ratify the Romes Statute. In all our efforts to ensure accountability for grave crimes committed in Ukraine we should aim at strengthening the International Criminal Court and global int-l justice in general.
- The Crime of Aggression is a gap that the ICC has not yet covered, but any ad hoc solution should be created in parallel to improvement and amendment of the Rome Statute system, as this is the best long-term solution.
- A special mechanism is needed to ensure specialisation of Ukrainian authorities and courts and on the systemic level improve the system to make it more capable to handle conflict-related crimes.
- The European Union has relevant experience with mixed courts and can become a key partner in the process.
- Victims` rights and participation should be prioritised and ensured through various judicial and non-judicial mechanisms.
Read the full Memorandum here.