Author:
Mariia Kucova
“Today is the best day to do more for a child who has unwillingly become a hostage of war,” Olena Rozvadovska addressed representatives of Ukraine's partner countries at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
The theme of the international meeting was “New Challenges for Child Rights Protection Worldwide: The Role of Parliaments and NGOs.”
Participants discussed the forced relocation of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation and its systematic attempts to influence them. These actions are a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“The younger the child, the more easily their mind is influenced by [Russian] propaganda. Younger children tend to forget their previous identities, languages, and cultures more quickly, as their perception of the world is not yet stable. They may not even remember that they are Ukrainians, and may begin to perceive the new environment as the only correct one,” Olena noted.
It is extremely important for us to be the voice of children on every platform, so there we also shared the story of Sofiia, who lived for a year and a half in occupied territory.
"When the Russians came, I started cutting myself off from news channels, media, and information. I built a 'wall' around myself, behind which I couldn't see the invaders, the artillery — nothing. This psychological detachment wasn't the best option, because later this 'wall' collapsed on me, and I had hysterical episodes every day," Olena shared, quoting one of the children our foundation supports.
Together with colleagues, we also discussed the ongoing work of Ukrainian organizations in returning and rehabilitating Ukrainian children. Ukraine was represented by Yevheniia Filipenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Office, Iryna Suslova, Representative of the Commissioner for the Rights of Children, and Daria Zarivna, Chief Operations Officer of Bring Kids Back UA.
We express our gratitude to the Permanent Missions of Ukraine, Norway, and Canada to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva, as well as to the parliamentary delegations of Ukraine and Norway in the Inter-Parliamentary Union for organizing this important event and for their support.
This meeting, like all our collective efforts, demonstrates the vital international solidarity needed during Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.
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