Parliamentary Network to Support Ukrainian Children held its first meeting in PACE

The Parliamentary Network on the Situation of Ukrainian Children, established on the PACE platform, held its first meeting during the Assembly's autumn session in Strasbourg.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, PACE Vice President Olena Khomenko, who is also the Assembly's rapporteur on the situation of Ukrainian children, was elected chair of the Network.

The Network aims to resolve the issue of the return of deported children, to take care of the problems of children in the temporarily occupied territories and to ensure that evacuated children have access to education and health care. The network includes 46 members from each PACE member state.

“When I became a rapporteur for the resolution on the situation of Ukrainian children, my goal was to turn words into action. And here we are. This is only the first meeting that will be devoted to one very important topic - ensuring the right of every child to grow up in a family environment. I am sure that this topic is extremely important for every country. However, for Ukraine, this issue has become more acute with the beginning of full-scale aggression by Russia,” Khomenko said in her opening remarks.

The meeting focused on creating conditions in which children feel safe. According to the results of the study “Protecting Childhood - A Dimension of Security” conducted in 15 countries, every sixth child does not feel safe at home.

“Responsible adults are faced with the task of ensuring a safe life in the families of Ukrainian children despite the war,” said Daria Herasymchuk, Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation, speaking online.

According to her, creating conditions for family upbringing is a priority for Ukraine, and the return home of all Ukrainian children, regardless of where they are, is part of President Zelensky's Formula for a Just Peace.

According to Ukrainian authorities, more than 19,500 children are currently considered abducted by the Russian Federation. It is the consolidation of efforts of all countries to return them home that is the primary task of the network.

“This is a parliamentary network. So we will coordinate all efforts, make the issue of abducted children more visible to the entire community. Of course, it is difficult, because this is Russian territory. But the fate of each returned child is important,” said Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, head of the Finnish delegation, who was elected deputy chairman of the Network.

As a reminder, during the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the parliamentary network on the situation with Ukrainian children was officially launched in Strasbourg.