NEW YORK, MARCH 25 – Today the International Peace Institute hosted the launch of the new Group of Friends (GoF) of Accountability following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Italy joined the group which was co-founded by Albania, Colombia, Denmark, the Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, and Ukraine: “Accountability is key in the rule-based international order”, the Italian mission said on Twitter.
The Group is chaired by a cross-regional group, it will be set up in New York and Geneva and will will serve as an informal forum for states dedicated to ensuring accountability for international crimes committed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Following the invasion on 24 February 2022, the UN General Assembly has denounced the act as a blatant violation of the principles of the UN Charter. The International Court of Justice has ruled that Russia must immediately suspend its military invasion. Meanwhile, Russia is continuing its war on Ukraine with disregard to the Geneva Conventions, killing civilians and destroying.
The Group aims at information sharing among states and relevant international organizations, institutions, and civil society in order to optimize the process of accountability and the delivery of justice. It will also include and engage smaller states, whose capacity to follow the development of accountability measures may not match the importance they attach to the respect for the rule-based international order. (@OnuItalia)
