On April 7, 2022, UBA President Anna Ogrenchuk and CEO Inna Liniova took part at the webinar of the American Bar Association (ABA) "Ukraine's Refugee Crisis: The Faces of War".

The webinar was dedicated to issues related to the tragic migration of Ukrainians forced to flee the war.

The ABA President Reginald M. Turner expressed support for the Ukrainian people in his speech, and emphasised that it is necessary to jointly ensure the rule of law in the world.

UBA urged the international legal community to undertake urgent steps to end the war and hold Russia accountable for its actions, in particular:

1. Support the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine that should have jurisdiction over those persons and entities who finance the war.

2. Ensure full economic isolation. At the legislative level of the US and EU, to prohibit commercial relations with companies who continue business in Russia.

3. Establish an international mechanism for damages. This step is necessary now, since the process might take some time. Together with development of such mechanism, the UBA asks the US and EU to develop a procedure for confiscation of the property under sanctions and implement such a procedure into national legislations. In addition, the UBA suggests to conduct a thorough audit of all asset of the Russian Federation, its state entities and individuals who support the Kremlin’s policy, and their further confiscation.

The UBA representatives emphasized the crucial role of the legal community in stopping the war and mitigating the consequences: it is very important that the legal community condemns the war, urges liability mechanisms and addresses international judicial and human rights protection institutions.

The UBA also urged international law firms, legal associations, and regulators to terminate the provision of legal services to companies operating at the Russian Federation (link).

The webinar recording is available at the link.