On 17 February, the Dutch government officially agreed to Ukraine's proposal to establish an international organization in The Hague, the Register of Damage Caused by Russian Aggression to Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine reports.
According to the ministry, the Register will contain information on the damage caused by the war to Ukrainians, businesses, and the state.
"The Register should become the first component of a comprehensive reparations mechanism designed to ensure that the aggressor state pays full reparations to Ukraine for the damage caused, in accordance with international law," the Ministry of Justice emphasized.
According to Ukraine's Minister of Justice Denys Malyuska, Russia is obliged under international law to compensate for the damage caused. For this purpose, it (the damage) must be thoroughly documented, assessed, and prepared for further consideration.
"The creation of the Register is a fundamental step for the future Compensation Mechanism. Now it is important that all processes are launched, and the future fund is filled with resources - confiscated assets of the aggressor country. We believe that the partners will be active on the issue of the Compensation Mechanism, as its implementation has already been supported by the UN, PACE and other international organizations," said Deputy Minister Iryna Mudra.
The ministry reminded that the creation of the Register of Damage was recommended in the UN General Assembly Resolution of 14 November 2022. Such a register will be the first component of a comprehensive reparations mechanism, which should include the establishment of a compensation commission that will consider individual applications for compensation by Russia from citizens, companies and the state.
A compensation fund should also be set up to accumulate funds to pay the commission's decisions, including at the expense of confiscated Russian assets," the ministry added.
The mechanism is being developed by a working group chaired by the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak. The negotiation group for the mechanism is headed by Iryna Mudra and the Presidential Office Advisor Markiyan Kliuchkovskyy.
Meanwhile, Ukrainians have already filed more than 325,000 reports of housing destruction or damage through the Diia state service.