President's Office presents draft intl Environmental Treaty for Ukraine
The international working group on the environmental consequences of the Russian war in Ukraine presented a draft Environmental Treaty for Ukraine at the President's Office on Friday, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reports.
"Today is a very important event. The result of the work of the international working group was the Environmental Treaty for Ukraine... Our document on specifics ... Why is it so important? This is the first very important work, giving recommendations on what needs to be done. Together with our friends, we are creating a mechanism for receiving reparations for all harm (against the environment)," head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak said during a meeting with journalists.
In particular, according to the head of the President's Office, the draft document provides for three options, namely recording crimes of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, punishing the aggressor and restoring the environment.
"Each fact of a crime will certainly become the evidence base for future trials and, in the end, the basis for compensation and reparation (from the Russian Federation)," he said.
As Yermak noted, this document will soon fall into the hands of world leaders, and will also become a topic for discussion at all international platforms. It will also form the basis of concrete policy decisions at the conference, which will take place immediately after the Global Leaders' Summit.
In turn, a member of the group, former Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, noted that the draft Environmental Treaty contains 50 recommendations to both Ukrainians and Ukraine's international partners regarding the restoration of damage caused to the environment during the war.
As European Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius emphasized, there were still no standards for assessing crimes against the environment in the world.
"But we see that these standards are now being developed based on what is happening in Ukraine. This will allow us to train judges, prosecutors, and develop an appropriate judicial process. Therefore, this is a very good example for ensuring justice and reparations on the part of the Russian Federation," he said.