Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) budget, the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) finances different activities to uphold international justice by supporting for example the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) and the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) in Ukraine.
Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) were established pursuant to an international agreement ratified by the Kosovo Assembly, a Constitutional Amendment, and the Law on the KSC and the SPO. They are of temporary nature with a specific mandate and jurisdiction over crimes against humanity, war crimes and other crimes under Kosovo law, which were commenced or committed in Kosovo between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2000 by or against citizens of Kosovo or the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in relation to allegations reported in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Report of 7 January 2011.
The KSC is located in The Hague and can also try cases against the administration of justice, such as witness intimidation. Trial hearings are public and can be viewed through the KSC website.
Providing people with information about the judicial proceedings has been at the centre of the KSC’s Outreach programme since the start of the court’s operations. Representatives of the court meet with students, lawyers, journalists, community leaders and other citizens across Kosovo every month. Over 145 interactive Outreach events have been held with audiences in Kosovo since 2018, reaching over 3,200 people directly.
EUAM Ukraine
The European Union, through EUAM Ukraine, supports the Ukrainian authorities, in particular the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and the Office of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine, to facilitate the investigation, documentation and prosecution of international crimes committed in the context of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine. The Mission’s support is provided through strategic advice, training and capacity building activities and its activities are financed under the CFSP budget of the EU.
In spring of 2022, the Kyiv region was liberated from Russian occupation, and the scale of the then-discovered international crimes in Bucha, Irpin, and other settlements shocked not only Ukrainians but the whole international community. Ukrainian law enforcement agencies had to adapt quickly to the new circumstances and put most of their efforts and resources into investigating and documenting these crimes.
To support Ukrainian authorities in holding perpetrators accountable for these atrocities, EU member states issued new tasks to EUAM Ukraine in April 2022. Now, EUAM also supports Ukrainian rule of law institutions in facilitating the investigation and prosecution of international crimes.
The EUAM has conducted several trainings, covering various aspects of international crimes investigation, including International Humanitarian Law, interviewing techniques, open-source intelligence, crime analysis, mass graves and exhumations, crime scene management, conflict related sexual violence, witness protection, and cooperation with national and international counterparts. The specifics of investigating crime scenes after missiles attacks and shelling were also part of the program.
Another example of EUAM’s unwavering support to Ukraine features the provision of equipment for investigation and prosecution activities.
On 6 February 2023, the Mission donated six armoured vehicles to the Office of Prosecutor General of Ukraine. These vehicles play an essential role ensuring the security and safety of Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors in liberated territories.
Details
- Publication date
- 17 July 2023
- Author
- Service for Foreign Policy Instruments