41 countries of the Council of Europe signed an agreement on the register of damage from the aggression of the RF

At the Council of Europe summit in Iceland, most of the participating countries signed an agreement on the creation of a register of damage from the aggression of the Russian Federation. 41 out of 46 states have signed the document.

This is reported on the official website of the European organization.

The agreement will be signed as the Council of Europe Treaty. It also provides for the involvement of the states outside the organization. At the same time, individual members of the Council of Europe may refrain from signing it.

The agreement provides for the creation of a database to record evidence of loss or damages caused to the sovereign state of Ukraine, individuals and legal entities due to illegal actions of the Russian Federation, starting from February 24, 2022. Also, financial claims of victims to the Russian Federation will be entered into this database. It is assumed that the agreed and confirmed claims will be implemented later, when the international community agrees on the compensation mechanism and the sources of its content.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić called on European leaders to take urgent measures to stop the rollback in democracy.

Speaking at the opening of the Fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe, she stressed that the Russian aggression against Ukraine is an extreme example of a retreat from democracy. In addition, there has been a retreat from freedom of expression – especially in the media, freedom to associate with others, as well as an increase in discrimination and hate speech against minority groups.

"You can stop it. You can reverse these trends. You can respond to Russia's downward spiral by elevating Europe and ensuring the peace and democratic security that is possible if everyone's rights are respected. This summit gives you such an opportunity ... and not only in words, but also in deeds," she said.

The path to change lies through the application of the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as through the prompt and full implementation of the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. Russia should be held accountable through the creation of a register to register damage in order to pave the way for a future compensation mechanism. In addition, it is necessary to take measures to solve the problem of the "outrageous abduction of Ukrainian children."

The documents officially signed in Reykjavik contain a reference to this future mechanism, indicating that it has yet to be agreed.