Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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On 12 May 2023 the Council of Europe established the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of Russia against Ukraine (the “Register”). The creation of the Register was amongst the recommendations included in a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 14 November 2022, entitled Furtherance of remedy and reparation for aggression against Ukraine (A/RES/ES-11/5).

The Register will receive and process information on claims of damage and evidence, categorise, classify and organise such claims, assess and determine the eligibility of claims for inclusion in the Register and record the eligible claims for the purposes of their future examination and adjudication. The Register is intended to form a component of a future international compensation mechanism comprising a claims commission and a compensation fund, to be established by way of a separate international instrument. This compensation mechanism will adjudicate and provide compensation for meritorious claims filed under the Register.

Ireland supports full accountability for breaches of international law arising out of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and to that end is a founding participant of the Register, along with 36 other member states of the Council of Europe, the EU, Canada, Japan and the US. We view the Register as an important first step towards an international compensation mechanism for victims of Russian aggression. Ireland was instrumental in enabling the establishment of the Register by putting Accountability for Ukraine on the Council of Europe’s agenda in September 2022, during our Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. We look forward to the Register opening to receive submissions of claims, which is expected in April this year.