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Andrii Sybiha: Ukraine's bitter experience allows us to initiate new provisions of international humanitarian law to fill existing gaps

Ukraine Government

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, posted 12 August 2025 11:18

On Tuesday, August 12, at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and his Czech counterpart, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, took part in the opening of the International Humanitarian Law Amid Contemporary Challenges Conference.

The event was dedicated to the 76th anniversary of the signing of the 1949 Geneva Conventions on the protection of war victims and to discussing improvements of international humanitarian law.

"It was in Prague, with Jan's personal support, that the first meeting of the Core Group of states on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine was held in 2023," the Minister noted.

Andrii Sybiha called on the international community to return to strict compliance with the norms and principles of international humanitarian law, and that violations of it should be grounds for the application of automatic sanctions. "Law violations must be punished," the Minister stressed.

In his speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine drew attention to the fact that 90% of Ukrainian prisoners of war are subjected to torture by russia. According to the Minister, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has registered more than 175,000 war crimes.

Andrii Sybiha emphasized that for russia, war crimes are a tool of warfare and added that the law ceases to apply where the russian occupier sets foot.

"russia illegally detains and forcibly displaces civilians, including children. And russia deliberately destroys civilian infrastructure. Human life is not a value for the aggressor," the Minister accentuated.

The Foreign Minister stressed that the only effective way to force the aggressor to comply with international humanitarian law is the inevitability of punishment.

In his speech, Andrii Sybiha stated Ukraine initiates the creation of the International Humanitarian Law Progressive Development Platform, which is intended to bring together states, international organizations, experts, and civil society.

Among the key tasks of the Platform are: identifying gaps in current international humanitarian law, developing new provisions on unregulated issues that take into account contemporary challenges, and promoting the implementation of amendments to international humanitarian law. According to the Minister, Ukraine is ready to act as a platform and coordinator.

"International humanitarian law is a guarantee of preserving humanity in the world. Together with international partners, Ukraine is working to ensure inevitable justice. No national jurisdiction is sufficient to respond to the scale of russian war crimes in Ukraine," Andrii Sybiha urged.

The Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of the agreement on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, signed in June by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset.

"This tribunal is designed to hold the russian leadership accountable for their primary crimes. For the unprovoked outbreak of a bloody war of destruction in the 21st century," the Minister stressed.

During his address, Andrii Sybiha presented the commemorative medal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine "For Supporting Ukraine's Diplomatic Effort" to Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, noting his deep personal contribution to the consistent support of Ukraine's territorial integrity and independence.