Co-organisers: Ukrainian Bar Association (UBA), Global Accountability Network (GAN), International Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA International).

The crime of aggression – “the mother of crimes” – is a fundamental violation of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of one state against another. Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine amounted to the biggest war in Europe since II World War and laid the foundation for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. 

Although other atrocities are already being reviewed by international judicial institutions (ICC, ICJ, ECHR), none of the existing mechanisms under international law has jurisdiction over the crime of aggression against Ukraine. 

If remained unaddressed by the international community, aggression against Ukraine will  establish a precedent and might lead to a greater impunity of other totalitarian regimes in the world. 

Renowned experts in transnational justice, legal communities worldwide and civil society urge the international community to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. On 7 October 2022, the Parliament of Ukraine adopted a resolution urging the UN, EU, CoE, other international organizations, as well as parliaments worldwide to support the establishment of the Tribunal. 

Questions to be discussed:

• Basis for the establishment of the Special Tribunal: UN, EU, CoE or ad hoc international agreement
• Mandate, composition and other questions of establishment of the Tribunal
• First steps and key milestones
• Major issues in the establishment of the Tribunal. How do we overcome them?
• Stance of the legal community: presentation of resolutions of UBA, NYSBA and ABA

Date of the presentation: October, 21, 2022, 12:00 – 14:00 NY time/19:00 – 21:00 Kyiv time .

Format: online (ZOOM platform).

Languages: English/Ukrainian (with simultaneous interpretation).

Useful materials for participants:

• Considerations for the Setting up of The Special Tribunal for Ukraine on the Crime of Aggression
• PROPOSAL FOR A RESOLUTION BY THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ACCOMPANYING PROPOSAL FOR A STATUTE OF A SPECIAL TRIBUNAL FOR UKRAINE ON THE CRIME OF AGGRESSION, 7 September 2022
• A Moment in History. Hans Corell, Irwin Cotler, David Crane
• Bringing Putin to Justice and the Lessons of History. Policy Magazine

Draft agenda

Opening remarks:

• Anna Ogrenchuk, UBA President
• Sherry Levin Wallach, NYSBA President
• Anton Korynevych, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Agent of Ukraine before the International Court of Justice

Moderator:

• Prof. Milena Sterio, Professor of Law at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and Managing Director at the PILPG. A leading expert on international law, international criminal law and human rights. Leads PILPG’s Thought Leadership Initiative.

Speakers:

• Oleksandr Kachura, Ukrainian MP
• Yuriy Belousov, Head of the War Department, Office of the Prosecutor General
• Professor David M. Crane, former Chief Prosecutor for the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Founder of the Global Accountability Network 
• Ambassador Hans Corell, Former Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and the Legal Counsel of the United Nations 
• Ambassador David J. Scheffer, International Francqui Professor, KU Leuven, Belgium (Spring 2022), Professor of Practice, Arizona State University, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
• Prof. Jennifer Trahan, Clinical Professor at NYU's Center for Global Affairs and Director of their Concentration in International Law and Human Rights 
• Prof. Irwin Cotler,  International Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, an Emeritus Professor of Law at McGill University, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and long-time Member of Parliament, and an international human rights lawyer

If you have questions for the speakers, leave them in the registration form. You will be able to hear the answers during the event.

Participation in the event is free, subject to prior registration.

If you wish, you can make a charitable contribution and support the activities of the Ukrainian Bar Association.