Call for Submissions by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine
Ukrainian version (PDF)
Vienna (5 May 2023) – The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine invites individuals, groups and organizations to submit information and documentation relevant to its second mandate.
The Commission was established by the Human Rights Council in March 2022 to investigate:
- violations and abuses of human rights,
- violations of international humanitarian law, and
- related crimes
in the context of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine.
In particular, we are interested to hear directly from survivors, their relatives and witnesses who can share information about, for example, transfer and deportations of children, violations or abuses in detention places and negative impact of the attacks on civilian infrastructure.
The tasks of the Commission are to submit:
- a report to the General Assembly at its 78th session in October 2023 and
- a comprehensive report to the Human Rights Council at its 55th session in March 2024.
It should be noted that not all information sent to the Commission will necessarily be reflected in the reports. For example, cases alleging violations falling outside the mandate of the Commission will not be considered.
The Commission attaches the utmost importance to the protection of sources, notably concerning the respect for confidentiality and the ‘do no harm’ principle (not to jeopardize the life, safety, freedom and well-being of victims, witnesses and other cooperating persons). It will only disclose the identity of cooperating persons if there is an informed consent from them and will use the information provided in accordance with their stated wishes.
Furthermore, the Commission takes all possible measures to ensure protection of information, including through the use of appropriate information communication technologies.
It should be noted that not all information sent to the Commission will necessarily be reflected in the final report. In particular, cases alleging violations falling outside the mandate of the Commission will not be considered.
In order to preserve the security and confidentiality of the information submitted, it is recommended to submit through the specific email address created by the Commission for this purpose: ohchr-submission-coiukraine@un.org Should you have any questions, including on how to submit information in a different way, please contact the Commission at: coi-ukraine@un.org
You are invited to submit your information before the deadline on 31 December 2023.