Secretary General Signs Agreement with the Netherlands Establishing Seat of Register of Damage

17-07-2023

Sofía Medina Sánchez 

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence 

On the 17th of July 2023, Marija Pejčinović Burić, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, signed the host State Agreement with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, thereby becoming the Seat of the Register of Damage caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. This seat is established in The Hague and has a satellite office in Ukraine. 

Mark Rutte claimed that “Russia must be held accountable, including for damage suffered by Ukraine and its people. We are therefore proud that the seat of the Register of Damage will be in The Hague, the legal capital of the world”.

The Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Register has attracted the participation of forty-three member states. The Register is established for three years initially and to function as a repository of evidence and claims data pertaining to the damage, loss, or injury resulting from the Russian aggression against Ukraine. This significant step sets the foundation for a forthcoming comprehensive international compensation mechanism, aimed at providing restitution to the victims affected by the Russian aggression.

Sources and further reading: 

Council of Europe, Newsroom, Seat of Register of Damage:  Secretary General signs agreement with the Netherlands, 17 July 2023: https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/seat-of-register-of-damage-%C2%A0secretary-general-signs-agreement-with-the-netherlands

Council of Europe, Newsroom, Council of Europe Summit creates register of damage for Ukraine as first step towards an international compensation mechanism for victims of Russian aggression, 17 May 2023: https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/council-of-europe-summit-creates-register-of-damage-for-ukraine-as-first-step-towards-an-international-compensation-mechanism-for-victims-of-russian-aggression

Resolution CM/Res(2023)3 establishing the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation Against Ukraine, Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 12 May 2023 at the 1466th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies, 16 May 2023: https://search.coe.int/cm/Pages/result_details.aspx?ObjectId=0900001680ab2595