Lev Kishakevich, a judge of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court, who was selected as Ukraine’s primary candidate for election as a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) following a competitive selection process, does not possess the required proficiency in the ICC’s working languages—French and English—according to an ICC document.
A report by the Advisory Committee on the Nomination of Judges, dated August 5, 2026, and posted on the ICC website, notes in particular that the Rome Statute requires candidates for judgeship to be fluent in the ICC’s working languages, and that the candidate from Ukraine does not speak French and does not possess the required level of English to perform the duties of a judge of the Court.
“The Committee regrets that the candidate’s language skills, as demonstrated during the interview, did not allow the Committee to properly assess his qualifications and suitability for the position in accordance with Article 36 of the Rome Statute,” the document states.
The Committee concluded that “the candidate does not meet the qualification requirements for appointment as a judge of the International Criminal Court.”
According to the ICC’s statement, the overall assessment of the candidate’s readiness for the position of judge was therefore incomplete due to the candidate’s language limitations.
“The Committee determined that the candidate’s language limitations would prevent him from making an immediate contribution to the work of the Court,” the document notes.
The “Interfax-Ukraine” news agency contacted the Supreme Court requesting comment on this situation.
On January 1, 2025, Ukraine officially became the 125th State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC. Thus, in accordance with the Statute, Ukraine, like every State Party, may nominate one candidate to the ICC.
As reported by the Supreme Court, on April 8, 2026, the selection committee responsible for choosing Ukraine’s candidate for election as an ICC judge—based on the results of interviews with the candidates held on March 24–26—selected Ukraine’s primary candidate for election as an ICC judge. That candidate is Lev Kishakevich, a judge of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court.
Source: https://asp.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/asp_docs/Report%20ACN.05Aug26.1000.pdf
https://asp.icc-cpi.int/sessions/documentation/25th-session#documentation
Ukraine should establish a training center for its own experts at the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to Oleksiy Shevchuk, a partner at Barristers LLC.
“Ukraine must provide systematic expertise and professionals capable of working effectively within the ICC’s structure. Ukraine should establish a training center for experts to work in international judicial bodies, primarily the ICC, as international criminal law will be one of the defining areas of 21st-century politics,” he told Interfax-Ukraine.
As Shevchuk noted, the ICC currently needs a wide range of experts who can support its operations.
“There are positions for OSINT coordinators, language analysts, financial experts, evidence management specialists, and even cyber intelligence specialists. The Court is a massive organization. And for it to function, dozens of highly qualified specialists in various fields are needed. Unfortunately, there are very few such people in Ukraine. If we can find 10 people ready to start working in The Hague tomorrow—that would be an optimistic forecast,” he said.
At the same time, Shevchuk noted that Ukraine has a strong tradition of ECHR practice, but the ICC is a different world; it has a different procedural logic, a different role for evidence, and a different mechanism for gathering information.
“The Court requires practical skills in international criminal proceedings, an understanding of military operations, and language proficiency at the level of technical translation of international terminology. It is a highly specialized environment,” he added.
Commenting on steps toward establishing a training center for ICC specialists, Shevchuk said that such a center should have several areas of focus: a program for training practicing lawyers (investigators, prosecutors, attorneys), a program for training technical and analytical staff (OSINT specialists, evidence managers, translators, data auditors, etc.), and a program for language and ethics training adapted to The Hague standards.
“We have a strong academic base in Ukraine, but researchers also need a team capable of integrating into the court’s practical work tomorrow. Canada established the Canadian Centre for International Justice, which trains lawyers and analysts specifically for international tribunals. Ukraine needs something similar—a partnership between universities, government agencies, and the ICC itself. This could be a joint initiative of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, academic institutions, and civil society organizations,” said Shevchuk.
“In the coming decades, the focus will definitely shift toward The Hague—and Ukraine needs real experts, not just symbolic ones. This is not a matter of prestige, but of competence: either we train our own specialists, or others will do it for us,” the lawyer concluded.
Barristers, ICC, LAWYER, specialist, training center, ШЕВЧУК
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is helping Ukrainian businesses expand beyond Europe, particularly into Latin America and Africa, ICC Secretary General John W. H. Denton said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“We have already brought delegations of Ukrainian companies to Bogota and Nairobi. This gives them international recognition and helps attract new partners,” he said.
The ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) is the world’s largest business organization representing the interests of the private sector at the global level. Its headquarters are located in Paris. It has more than 170 member countries and more than 45 million companies, entrepreneurs, and business associations worldwide.
Status: It has observer status at the UN and works closely with the WTO, G20, IMF, and other international organizations.
The ICC develops global standards and rules for doing business (e.g., Incoterms®); resolves international disputes through the ICC International Court of Arbitration, one of the most authoritative arbitration bodies in the world; and promotes free trade, sustainable development, and the digitalization of the economy.
For more details, see the interview at https://interfax.com.ua/news/interview/1082092.html
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has introduced reduced fees for Ukrainian companies applying to the ICC International Court of Arbitration. This was announced in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine by ICC Secretary General John W. H. Denton.
“Yes, the decision to reduce fees was implemented to remove barriers to commercial dispute resolution for Ukrainian businesses,” he said.
In addition, according to the ICC Secretary General, the ICC One Click digital platform is now available in Ukrainian and integrated into the network of regional chambers of commerce and industry. He also announced this in an interview with the agency.
“Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are already using the platform, undergoing training, and integrating into international supply chains,” Denton added.
The ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) is the world’s largest business organization representing the interests of the private sector at the global level.
Headquarters: Paris, France.
Member countries: more than 170.
Members: over 45 million companies, entrepreneurs, and business associations worldwide
Status: has observer status at the UN, works closely with the WTO, G20, IMF, and other international organizations.
The ICC develops global standards and rules for doing business (e.g., Incoterms®), resolves international disputes through the ICC International Court of Arbitration, one of the most authoritative arbitration bodies in the world, and promotes free trade, sustainable development, and the digitalization of the economy.
For more information, see the interview: https://interfax.com.ua/news/interview/1082092.html
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) will hold a roundtable on export finance guarantees as part of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome. This was announced by ICC Secretary General John Denton in an interview.
According to him, one of the main obstacles to investment is the lack of risk insurance coverage.
“We have invited banks, governments, and businesses to address this issue,” he added.
URC2025 will take place on July 10-11, 2025. It will be the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference, continuing a series of high-level political events dedicated to the rapid recovery and long-term reconstruction of Ukraine.
The ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) is the world’s largest business organization representing the interests of the private sector at the global level. Its headquarters are located in Paris. It has more than 170 member countries and over 45 million companies, entrepreneurs, and business associations worldwide.
Status: has observer status at the UN and works closely with the WTO, G20, IMF, and other international organizations
The ICC develops global standards and rules for doing business (e.g., Incoterms®); resolves international disputes through the ICC International Court of Arbitration, one of the most authoritative arbitration bodies in the world; and promotes free trade, sustainable development, and the digitalization of the economy.
For more details, see the interview at https://interfax.com.ua/news/interview/1082092.html
Ukraine remains an attractive country for investment if the risks are clear and manageable, said John W. H. Denton, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“Ukraine is an investment-friendly country. It is important not to ignore the risks, but to understand them and be able to manage them,” Denton stressed. According to him, the private sector should become ”the foundation of post-war recovery.”
The ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) is the world’s largest business organization representing the interests of the private sector at the global level. Its headquarters are in Paris. It has more than 170 member countries and over 45 million companies, entrepreneurs, and business associations worldwide.
Status: It has observer status at the UN and works closely with the WTO, G20, IMF, and other international organizations.
The ICC develops global standards and rules for doing business (e.g., Incoterms®); resolves international disputes through the ICC International Court of Arbitration, one of the most authoritative arbitration bodies in the world; It promotes free trade, sustainable development, and the digitalization of the economy.
For more information, see the interview at https://interfax.com.ua/news/interview/1082092.html
