The situation of the children of Ukraine was at the heart of the debate of Congress members on Tuesday 26 March.
Daria Herasymchuk, Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights and Child Rehabilitation, detailed the disruption to children’s rights to safety, health, and education caused by the war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. She stressed that only reported crimes could be investigated, and that the real scale of children’s rights violations remains unknown. She therefore called on local and regional authorities across Europe to support the work of Ukrainian national authorities and UN bodies in reporting and documenting violations of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and, in particular, in identifying children abducted and forcibly deported by the Russian Federation.
Congress members heard a poignant testimony from Galyna Minayeva, Mayor of Chuhuiv from the Kharkiv Region of Ukraine. Her city, like too many other municipalities in Ukraine, was suffering from repeated shelling caused by the Russian Federation, said Mayor Minayeva. She detailed the specific measures put in place by her local authority to cater to the needs of the children remaining in her community. This included providing emergency mobile psychosocial services to children and their caregivers, supporting teachers in delivering psycho-emotional relief through art classes and sports clubs, and rehabilitating infrastructures to ensure children’s safety. She called on Congress members to continue supporting local and regional authorities in Ukraine. “Adults start wars, and children suffer the most. We, as adults, must do everything we can to preserve the mental and physical health of every child,” she concluded.
Co-rapporteurs Gunn-Marit Helgesen (Norway, R, EPP/CCE) and Martine Dieschburg-Nickels (Luxembourg, L, ILDG) reiterated the Congress’ solidarity with Ukraine and urged Congress members to make full use of the Cities4Cities Platform, which aims to connect Ukrainian and other European municipalities to build strong partnerships and support the country’s post-war recovery.
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