Sweden signs Convention establishing International Claims Commission for Ukraine

“The establishment of the Claims Commission is a vital step in demanding accountability from Russia for its war against Ukraine. Russia must pay for the damage it has caused Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard.

On 14 November 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution stressing the need to establish an international mechanism for reparation for damage caused by Russia’s actions in violation of international law in and against Ukraine. 

The International Claims Commission is part of this mechanism. In 2023, a register was established to record claims and evidence linked to damage caused by Russia’s aggression. Sweden is one of the founding members of the register of damage. The new International Claims Commission will examine claims submitted to the register. The register and the Claims Commission have been set up within the framework of the Council of Europe.

Sweden is actively working for accountability for the crimes committed during Russia’s aggression. This is done through international and national support, including to the International Criminal Court, the UN, the EU, the OSCE and civil society organisations. Sweden is also actively participating in efforts to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. 

The Convention was adopted at a diplomatic conference in The Hague in the presence of President Zelenskyy on 16 December 2025. State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Dag Hartelius participated in the conference and signed the Convention on behalf of Sweden.