The third plenary of the Council of Europe Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine (CGU) was held in-person in Strasbourg on 1-2 July, with discussions being centred on issues relating to guardianship systems, transnational procedures and cooperation, psychological support and trauma-informed care, as well as the Ukraine-led childcare reform process, supported by the European Commission and UNICEF. As part of the plenary, a special hearing on understanding the risks of human trafficking of children of Ukraine, including for the purpose of labour and sexual exploitation, was organised in close collaboration with GRETA. A joint CGU-GRETA report is currently being prepared.
On 24 July 2024, the Council of Europe project “Protecting the Rights of Armenian Children in Post-Conflict Context” organised a roundtable discussion with a view to support Armenia's efforts in deinstitutionalisation reform and enhance the protection of the rights of unaccompanied and separated children. The event brought together national authorities and civil society organisations to address gaps and needs in the current child protection system and propose actionable and targeted recommendations.
On 24 September, the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representation in Armenia, and the Centre for European Studies at Yerevan State University, awarded certificates to over 30 participants from UNHCR Armenia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Human Rights Defender’s Office, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the National Security Service, the Chamber of Advocates and Administrative Court, World Vision, and Mission Armenia NGO, after they successfully completed the HELP course “Refugee and Migrant Children”. The course focuses on legal protection for refugee and migrant children, child-friendly procedures, social rights, family reunification and guardianship, and was adapted to the Armenian context within the framework of the Council of Europe project “Protecting the rights of Armenian children in post-conflict context”.
