At the Plenary Meeting, the Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine outlined progress in prosecuting international crimes, highlighting the scale of investigations, indictments, and convictions, as well as the role of specialised units operating under the Prosecutor General’s Office, supported by the Interagency Working Group of Military Advisors. Priorities for 2025-2026 include updating strategic prosecution frameworks, finalising criteria for prioritisation of investigations, strengthening cooperation with civil society, advancing harmonisation with the Rome Statute, reinforcing victim protection, expanding the use of open-source intelligence (OSINT), and continuing digitalisation through the SMEREKA system and advanced analytical tools, alongside urgent technical and capacity support needs.
Ukraine’s ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was recognised as a historic milestone driving comprehensive legislative reform. The establishment and work of the Interagency Working Group under the Prosecutor General’s Office were highlighted as central to harmonising national legislation with international standards. Progress was noted on strengthening provisions related to the crime of aggression and war crimes, including revised draft legislation aligned with the Rome Statute and international humanitarian law. Participants underlined that legislative harmonisation is a strategic process requiring legal precision, practical applicability, and continued cooperation between national and international experts, including safeguards against decriminalisation and improved in absentia proceedings.
The Plenary reaffirmed OSINT as a core component of modern accountability mechanisms, particularly where access to traditional evidence is limited. Participants stressed the importance of rigorous verification methodologies, standardised procedures, and strengthened analytical capacity to ensure the admissibility and credibility of digital evidence.
Contributions from international partners and civil society demonstrated the value of coordinated forensic efforts, structured information-sharing, and the preservation of large-scale digital archives. The need for harmonised legal frameworks, enhanced institutional coordination, and sustained technical support was underscored to ensure the integrity and evidentiary value of digital material in judicial proceedings, in line with agreed confidentiality principles and Member States’ need for public visibility.