The international community has responded to the atrocities in Ukraine with an unprecedented level of cooperation to ensure justice for victims.
Ambassador Van Schaack noted during a press briefing that efforts to hold Russia accountable will likely span generations, with justice initiatives continuing well into the future. “We are laying the groundwork for what will be an intergenerational… justice effort,” she said, hightlighting that while some of those responsible may be out of reach now, they may eventually fall under the jurisdiction of international or national courts.
This coordinated effort involves numerous countries, civil society organisations, and legal institutions, all working to ensure that war crimes and crimes against humanity are thoroughly documented and prosecuted.
Ambassador Van Schaack pointed out that civil society groups have been crucial in gathering evidence, often using sophisticated open-source investigations to track potential war criminals. These investigations, combined with legal frameworks like the ICC and Eurojust, create a robust system for prosecuting perpetrators of international crimes.
The Ambassador also acknowledged that many of the investigations and prosecutions related to the Ukraine war will take place in Ukrainian courts, but international support remains critical.
“What we’re doing now is really laying the groundwork for what will be an intergenerational, potentially, justice effort,” she noted, adding that it may take decades to fully bring all perpetrators to justice.
