Nearly 40 countries have officially endorsed the creation of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.There is no more symbolic place to mark this milestone than my home city of Lviv — the birthplace of modern international law. It was here that Hersch Lauterpacht and Raphael Lemkin laid the foundations for the legal concepts of crimes against humanity and genocide. Today, as the world comes together to establish a Special Tribunal, international law is returning to where its spirit was born — and with it, a renewed commitment to justice, dignity, and accountability.
This will be the first international tribunal since Nuremberg and Tokyo dedicated to holding the top political and military leadership of aggressor states — russia, Belarus, and North Korea — accountable for the crime of aggression.
For me, as both a legal professional and policymaker, this is not just a matter of professional responsibility. It is a matter of principle. It is my answer to those who believe that evil can act with impunity.
I am profoundly grateful to our international partners, the EU, the Council of Europe, the Core Group governments, and especially to my extraordinary team for their relentless dedication.
We are one step closer to the day when those who launched and assisted in waging this war will be tried and convicted.
Justice is not an abstraction — it is the foundation of lasting peace. And yesterday we have layed its cornerstone.
