Speaker details

Biography

Mr. Maksym Popov Ukrainian diplomat serving as First Secretary at the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and as Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the OPCW. He is engaged in multilateral diplomacy with a focus on chemical weapons non-proliferation and accountability for the use of chemical weapons within the framework of the OPCW. An attorney-at-law and environmental justice expert, he specializes in accountability for wartime environmental damage. From October 2022 to April 2025, he served as Adviser to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, where he led efforts to prosecute ecocide and environmental war crimes committed in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. He has extensive experience as an environmental lawyer and human rights defender, focusing on the protection of the environment through the rule of law and strategic litigation, including advancing access to information and justice in environmental matters. His professional background combines legal practice, human rights advocacy, and the development of innovative approaches to ensuring accountability for wartime environmental damage.