“The UN General Assembly by a majority of votes adopted a resolution demanding that the Russian Federation immediately and without any preconditions return all illegally deported Ukrainian children.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Maryana Betsa. Photo: X/BringKidsBackUA Source: broadcasting meeting of the General Assembly, text of the resolution“Ukrinform“
Literally: “The General Assembly… demands that the Russian Federation ensure the immediate, safe and unconditional return of Ukrainian children who have been illegally displaced or deported; calls on the Russian Federation to immediately stop any further practices of forced displacement, deportation, separation of children from their families and legal guardians, change of personal status, including through citizenship, adoption or placement in foster families, and indoctrination of Ukrainian children.”
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Details: The document was supported by 91 countries. 12 states voted against, another 57 abstained.
In addition to Russia itself, Belarus, Iran, Nicaragua, Cuba, Eritrea, Mali and several other countries voted against the resolution.
57 states abstained during the vote. Among them are China, India, Brazil, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Qatar and Pakistan.
As the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Maryana Betsa explained during the presentation of the document, this resolution does not concern politics, but only humanity and the moral obligation of the international community.
She emphasized that the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine made children the most vulnerable target of aggression. According to the diplomat, Russia not only kills and maims children, but also tries to erase their identity.
Betsa emphasized that in the occupied territories and in Russia, Ukrainian children are forbidden to learn their native language, literature and history, and instead they impose hostile propaganda. Children are forced to repeat fakes about the “Nazi state” and are also recruited into so-called “child armies” where they are subjected to “military training and ideological processing.”
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia has deported at least 20,000 Ukrainian children to date. Ukraine has so far managed to return home only 1,850 of them.
The President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Burbok, during the consideration of the project, emphasized that the deportation of children is a gross violation of international humanitarian law.
She recalled that Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the forced transfer of civilians from occupied territories under any circumstances. Likewise, the Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees the right of every child to identity, family life, citizenship and protection from abduction.
Burbok emphasized that the issue of children’s return cannot be considered separately from the fact of the Russian invasion. She noted that the General Assembly acts consistently in conditions where the UN Security Council remains unable to make decisions due to the position of the Russian Federation.
“The 11th extraordinary special session makes a decision in the name of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, for the protection of the international order, the Ukrainian people and the most vulnerable among them – children,” Berbok said.
Diplomats emphasized that supporting the resolution is a vote for international law and justice, as it creates tools for abducted children to live again in their native land.