War Damage Register to be open for applications from victims starting April - Justice Ministry
Starting from April, the international register of damages caused to Ukraine by the Russian war will be open for applications from victims.
Deputy Minister of Justice Iryna Mudra, who arrived in the United States for negotiations at the UN Headquarters in New York and with American politicians in Washington, spoke with Ukrinform, commenting on the implementation of the damage compensation mechanism.
According to the official, the secretariat "will collect, process, systematize, group, and file applications in the appropriate sections."
Mudra specified that the first category of the register will be launched in April, as regards losses and damages caused to individuals who lost their homes.
"We started with this category because a lot has been done in Ukraine to this end," explained the deputy minister. “You can also submit an application and receive compensation for destroyed or damaged property through the Diia application. The database has already been created on our Ukrainian system, and it will be easy to transfer it to the international register."
Instructions on how to submit an application are yet to be developed. Two languages will be available – Ukrainian and English.
In addition, relevant evidence shall be uploaded. "We are talking about examinations, testimonies, police reports, criminal case files – any documents backing the claim," the deputy minister said.
Cooperation between the international register and existing registers in Ukraine is currently being established.
At the same time, Diia will act as an intermediary between national and international registers, Mudra clarified.
It is expected that hundreds of thousands of applications will be received under the first category, as about 500,000 applications for compensation have already been recorded in the Ukrainian register.
Not only material damage will be taken into account, but also that inflicted on personal dignity and health. Citizens will be able to apply to the register regarding the loss of their loved ones due to the war or during the war. Forcibly deported or internally displaced persons, or those who have fled country, will also be able to apply to the register.
Later, other categories will be gradually added – applicable to the state-owned and legal entities. Later, a commission will appear, which will process the data and, decide on compensation amounts, Mudra elaborated.
The compensation commission has not yet been set up, she said. The formation of this separate body requires a multilateral international agreement, which is be signed by governments and ratified by the parliaments of the signatory countries.
"Our ambitious goal is for the draft agreement on the international compensation commission to be agreed upon by the end of this year. It will take some time to sign and then ratify it," the deputy minister added.
According to her, the signatories will be the same countries that have committed to creating the register, as well as other countries "to gain global support."
As reported by Ukrinform, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal previously stated that Ukraine offers partners a special compensation mechanism for attracting financing for Ukraine’s recovery.