On Thursday 15 October 2026, the International Bar Association (IBA) and partners will co-host a free, in-person conference centred on justice and accountability for Ukraine at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, Japan.

The Conference will bring together leading experts from across the legal profession, international organisations, academia, government and civil society to discuss the latest developments in international accountability mechanisms for addressing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The event is supported by Human Rights for the Future, the ICC Asia-Pacific Academic Network for International Criminal Justice (APN), the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, the Taiwan Bar Association, the Tokyo Bar Association and Truth Hounds.

Dr Mark Ellis, IBA Executive Director and a speaker at the conference, commented: 'The IBA joins with our members and partners in Japan at a critical moment for the international rule of law and for accountability for international crimes. There is no clearer example of the crime of aggression than Russia's invasion of Ukraine. If the crime of aggression is not prosecuted now, it will be permanently normalised. Under international law, victims in Ukraine are entitled to compensation for the harms they have suffered. Supporting the Special Tribunal and Claims Commission are not simply acts of solidarity with Ukraine; these are acts that reaffirm international law. By joining the Special Tribunal and Claims Commission, Japan and other states in the Asia Pacific region will strengthen the legitimacy, universality, and deterrent power of these mechanisms.'

Tomoaki Ishigaki, Ambassador, Special Representative for Central Asia, Caucasus, and GUAM and Deputy Director-General for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, will open the Conference alongside Yurii Lutovinov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Japan, and Claudio Visco, IBA President (who has recorded a video message).

Oleksandr Karasevych, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, will give a keynote speech.

The first panel will focus on compensating victims of international crimes in Ukraine and the second will address the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and its contribution to ensuring accountability for the crime of aggression. Anton Korynevych, Director of the Department of International Law and Legal Counteraction to Aggression at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, will speak at this session. The third panel will address perspectives from the legal profession.

Kimitoshi Yabuki, Co-Chair, Human Rights for the Future, Tokyo, Honorary Life Member of IBA Council and Association, and a speaker at the conference, remarked: ‘The impact of the war in Ukraine is of the utmost concern, and especially the harm being suffered by civilians including women and children. All efforts must be taken to cease the war of aggression against Ukraine. However, it is critical not to wait for the end of hostilities to plan for compensation of victims and accountability for the crime of aggression itself. This is why the discussions held in Tokyo about the compensation mechanisms and the special tribunal are so important. Japan has been and should continue to be a leader in the Asia Pacific region when it comes to the rule of law and international accountability.’

Additional speakers at the conference include:

• Justin Esiobu, Third Secretary, Department of International Law and Legal Counteraction to Aggression, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Kyiv;
• Markiyan Kliuchkovskyi, Executive Director, Register of Damage for Ukraine, The Hague;
• Isomi Suzuki, Past President, LAWASIA, Tokyo;
• Kate Orlovsky, Director, IBA ICC & ICL Programme, The Hague;
• Dmytro Koval, Co-Executive Director, Truth Hounds, Kyiv;
• Philipp Osten, Director, Center for International Criminal Justice and Professor at the Faculty of Law, Keio University, Tokyo;
• Irene Suominen-Picht, Deputy, Accountability for Ukraine Unit, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe, Strasbourg (online);
• Kin-ichi Takahashi, Vice-President, Japan Federation of Bar Associations, Tokyo; and
• Jason Wu, Vice-President, Taiwan Bar Association, Taipei. 

Rob Anderson, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Public Diplomacy, Political and Cultural Affairs Section, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, will provide closing remarks. Throughout the Conference, there will be simultaneous interpretation in Japanese and English.

**ENDS**

Contact: asia.office@int-bar.org

Notes:

1. Register here for the IBA Justice and accountability for Ukraine: the compensation mechanisms and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression conference.

2. Click here to find out more about the IBA’s work in support of Ukraine since 2022.

3. The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, is the foremost organisation for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. Established in 1947, shortly after the creation of the United Nations, it was born out of the conviction that an organisation made up of the world's bar associations could contribute to global stability and peace through the administration of justice.

   The IBA acts as a connector, enabler, and influencer, for the administration of justice, fair practice, and accountability worldwide. The IBA has collaborated on a broad range of ground-breaking, international projects with the United Nations, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, The Commonwealth, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, among others.

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