The President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Federico Villegas, has established a Commission to inquire war crimes committed in Ukraine.
That’s according to the UN press service.
Erik Møse of Norway, who is a former judge of the European Court of Human Rights, former President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and a former judge of the Supreme Court of Norway, will serve as Chair of the Commission.
The three-person Commission was further requested “to collect, consolidate and analyse evidence of such violations and abuses, including their gender dimension, and to systematically record and preserve all information, documentation and evidence, including interviews, witness testimony and forensic material, consistent with international law standards, in view of any future legal proceedings”.
The Commission, established for an initial duration of one year, was requested “to establish the facts, circumstances and root causes of any such violations and abuses” and to complement, consolidate and build upon the work of the human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine.
The investigative body was also requested to identify, where possible, individuals and entities responsible for human rights violations and related crimes committed in Ukraine to ensure they are held accountable. It was mandated to make recommendations with a view to ending impunity and ensuring criminal responsibility, and access to justice for victims.
The Commissioners, who will serve in their personal capacities, were requested to present an oral update on their work to the Human Rights Council at its 51st session in September 2022 and a comprehensive written report at its 52nd session in March 2023. They will also submit a report to the UN General Assembly at its 77th session.
Jasminka Džumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Pablo de Greiff of Colombia will serve as other two independent members of the Commission.
