Tribunal as a global instrument of justice: at Crimea Global, participants discussed the role of Latin America in defending justice in Ukraine

The seventh panel discussion, “Can Latin America contribute to justice in Ukraine?”, took place as part of the Third International Conference “Crimea Global. Understanding Ukraine through the South”.

Christopher D. Russell, Anton Korynevych, Uriã Fancelli, Ignacio Montes de Oca

The panel discussion was joined by Dr. Felipe Alamino, Postdoctoral Researcher and Co-Founder of the Research Group on the International Protection of Minorities at the University of São Paulo; Journalist and Political Commentator Uriã Fancelli; Director of the Department of International Law at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dr. Anton Korynevych; writer and independent Argentinian Journalist Ignacio Montes de Oca; and Dr. Hugo Rojas, Professor of Sociology of Law, Transitional Justice, and Political Sociology at Alberto Hurtado University

The event was moderated by Christopher D. Russell, Member of the Board, Rule of Law Officer at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Anton Korynevych focused on the global scope of the special tribunal and the importance of engaging countries from around the world in its operation. He emphasised that the tribunal is designed to be open to the participation of countries from Latin America, Africa, Asia and other regions. Korynevych emphasised that the special tribunal is intended to be a multilateral mechanism, and its efforts are aimed at attracting international partners from around the world: “We have come up with the idea that the special tribunal should be established on the basis of an agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe. However, it is extremely important that once adopted, it will be open to any state, including those from Latin America, Africa and Asia. The door is open. The tribunal is not just a European project. It is a global instrument of justice“.

Anton Korynevych

Dr. Felipe Alamino drew attention to the legal consequences of the occupation of Crimea and Russian aggression. He noted that, although there is no specific legal instrument that directly addresses the occupation, the UN General Assembly resolution revives the concept of aggression and provides grounds for prosecution. Felipe Alamino clarified that the resolution is not legally binding, but it states that the occupation is an act of aggression aimed at violating the territorial integrity of a state, while the use of armed force is direct evidence of such aggression.

Hugo Rojas stressed that Latin America has valuable experience in documenting human rights violations, and the recommendations cover various aspects, including documentation, protection of information, decision-making, informing families, determining who has access to this data and how to use this information in legal proceedings. He also stressed that it is important to have a parallel registration system from civil society in cooperation with the government.

Uriã Fancelli pointed out the significant role of Russian propaganda in shaping political narratives and influencing public opinion in Brazil.

Ignacio Montes de Oca underlined the need to actively combat Russian, Chinese and Iranian disinformation. He underlined the importance of coordinating efforts to counter propaganda, disseminate truthful facts and properly inform people about the war.

The Third International Conference “Crimea Global” was opened in Kyiv on 17 November. The event was attended by more than 200 participants from around the world, including leading experts, academics, journalists, human rights defenders, opinion leaders and representatives of international organisations.

On the sidelines of the conference, three panel discussions were held on Ukraine, Crimea and the global dimension, the use of new technologies, including drones, by authoritarian regimes against civilians, and the problems of modern journalism during the war between Russia and Ukraine.

In the evening, the SENS bookstore hosted a special artistic commemorative evening – “Memoria Orbis: Memory Holds the World”. The event was dedicated to Ukrainian artists whose lives were taken by Russian aggression, but whose work continues to support and unite our common world.

On 14 November, the conference participants visited Lviv, on 15 November, they continued their acquaintance with Ukraine in Kharkiv, and on 16 November, the guests of the Crimea Global conference arrived in Kyiv, where the Mission’s Office/Crimean Platform hosted a closed roundtable event “Ukraine’s Resilience in War: Challenges, Responses, and International Support”.

Organisers: Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea / Office of the Crimea Platform, Human Rights Centre ZMINA, Media Initiative for Human Rights.

Partners: Ukrainian Institute, PEN Ukraine, Truth Hounds, Media Center Ukraine, Transatlantic Dialogue Center.

The event is organised with the support of the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU), the International Renaissance Foundation, the Prague Civil Society Centre, the Norwegian-Swedish Askold and Dir Fund, administered by ISAR Ednannia, and UN Women.

Photo credit: Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea