Netherlands ratifies Council of Europe Convention establishing International Compensation Commission for Ukraine
The Netherlands has ratified the Council of Europe Convention that creates the International Compensation Commission for Ukraine, submitting its ratification instrument at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg on 15 September. The Netherlands, which led negotiations on the Convention and currently heads the preparatory committee, becomes part of a group of nine countries plus the EU that have completed ratification. Twenty-five ratifications are required for the Convention to enter into force.
Key points
- The Netherlands completed its official ratification on Tuesday, 15 September 2026.
- Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the Council of Europe, Ambassador André Gasperi, submitted the ratification instrument to the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg.
- Nine countries and the EU have now completed the ratification process.
- Twenty-five ratifications are required for the Convention to enter into force; the Convention has been signed by 40 countries.
- The Netherlands played a leadership role in the Convention's negotiations and currently heads the preparatory committee established in February 2026.
- The Compensation Commission is planned to be located in The Hague and will decide on claims submitted through the Register of Damages.
- The Register of Damages began accepting applications at the end of August and opened its remaining business categories in September.
Why it matters
The Netherlands' ratification matters on three levels. As the country that drove the Convention's negotiation and currently chairs its preparatory committee, it carries particular weight in moving the mechanism from design to operation. Each ratification brings the Convention closer to the 25-ratification threshold needed for entry into force, so incremental steps directly affect when the Commission can begin its work. And the Commission itself is the decision-making arm of the compensation mechanism, the body that will actually adjudicate claims filed through the Register of Damages.
What happened
On 15 September 2026, the Netherlands completed the official ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on the establishment of the International Compensation Commission for Ukraine. The Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the Council of Europe, Ambassador André Gasperi, submitted the ratification instrument to the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg. With this step, nine countries plus the EU have now completed ratification; the Convention requires 25 ratifications to enter into force and has been signed by 40 countries. The Netherlands led the negotiations on the Convention and currently heads the preparatory committee, which was created in February 2026 by a decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The Commission is planned to be located in The Hague and is the second element of the broader compensation mechanism for damages caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, tasked with reviewing and deciding on claims submitted by victims through the Register of Damages. The Register began accepting applications in several categories at the end of August and opened its remaining business categories in September.
Where reporting differs
The two source articles differ on the spelling of the Netherlands Permanent Representative's surname, giving it as 'Gasperi' in one and 'Gaspel' in the other.
Background
The International Compensation Commission is the second element of the broader compensation mechanism for damages caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A preparatory committee was created in February 2026 by a decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to handle operational and practical preparations for the Commission's launch; the Netherlands currently heads that committee. The Register of Damages — the first element of the mechanism — began accepting applications at the end of August in categories covering the state of Ukraine, legal entities, and loss of employment by individuals, and opened its remaining business categories in September.