On May 9, 2025, in Ukraine, representatives of 35 countries announced the Lviv Statement, signaling the completion of preparations for establishing a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The statement was endorsed by foreign ministers and officials from the Core Group, an international coalition working to establish the tribunal within the framework of the Council of Europe.
While the initiative received significant support from Western countries, only a few states from other regions, such as Australia, Guatemala and Costa Rica, have publicly joined the statement. Regional leaders from Africa, Asia, and Latin America did not support the initiative, even from states that have previously voted in favor of Ukraine-related resolutions at the UN General Assembly.
In this context, the Media Initiative for Human Rights is hosting an open discussion “Beyond the West: Global Perspectives on the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression” to discuss:
- Why most of the countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America have not supported the idea of the Special Tribunal;
- How civil society and governments in these countries perceive the idea of the Special Tribunal, and how it might affect justice and the rule of law worldwide;
- The potential impact of the Special Tribunal on justice efforts in other international armed conflicts;
- Pathways for engaging non-Western states in supporting the tribunal at later stages.
Anton Korynevych, the coordinator of the Core Group on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, will deliver the keynote speech. The discussion will also feature Ukrainian lawyers and representatives of countries that participated in the international conference “Crimea Global: Understanding Ukraine through the South,” co-organized by the Media Initiative for Human Rights.
We invite media representatives, researchers, human rights defenders, officials from relevant state institutions, and members of the diplomatic corps to join the event.
Registration is required: https://forms.gle/tLtofDpfk5m22U8F7.
A confirmation email will be sent to the address provided in the registration form one day before the event. If you have any questions, please contact MIHR’s communications manager Anastasiia Loza: [email protected], +380938321948.
*The international conference “Crimea Global: Understanding Ukraine through the South” was launched in 2023 as a platform for dialogue between Ukraine and countries of Asia, Africa, and South and Central America. Over two years, it has brought together more than 400 participants from these regions, including journalists, analysts, scholars, experts, and civil society leaders. The discussions have focused on global challenges, prospects for interregional cooperation, the promotion of the Peace Formula, and fostering a broader understanding of Ukraine through the lens of temporarily occupied Crimea as an integral part of the country. The conference was initiated by the Permanent Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea / Office of the Crimea Platform. Its regular partners include the Media Initiative for Human Rights and the ZMINA Human Rights Center.
