The Council of Europe Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine (CGU) is holding its first meeting in Strasbourg on 30 November - 1 December 2023, bringing together over 85 participants to discuss ways to effectively protect the rights of millions of Ukrainian children residing in Council of Europe member states, who have been forced to flee their homeland since the start of Russia’s war of aggression.   

The CGU was set up to ensure practical implementation of the 2023 Reykjavík Summit Declaration, to facilitate information exchange on applicable legal standards and policies. It is made up of national experts on the issue appointed by member states, along with representatives of the European Union, other international organisations and European and Ukrainian NGOsS. The first meeting focused on reception, registration and care of unaccompanied and separated children; issues of jurisdiction and admissible law; guardianship;  psychological support and trauma-informed care, and a road map to guide its the Group’s work until the end of its mandate on 31 July 2025.