“The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the event “Securing the future for children: overcoming new challenges for soft power”, which took place on the sidelines of the Future Summit and the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. ”, — write: www.president.gov.ua
The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the event “Securing the future for children: overcoming new challenges for soft power”, which took place on the sidelines of the Future Summit and the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.
“This year, the topics of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen and the UN Summit overlapped: both touched on the future of children. This is a very symbolic coincidence, it means that the fate of children hurts all of us, regardless of the country,” said the President’s wife.
She shared the results of a study conducted in 15 countries before the fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. The survey found that one in four children in the world suffers from the direct impact of war. Olena Zelenska called on all adults to act to save children.
“It is sad to state, but if the abduction of 19,000 children, torture, mutilation and murder became possible before our eyes, it means that all the rules and international safeguards created in the world did not work. Therefore, fundamentally new tools are needed,” said the first lady.
One of such tools, according to her, is an expert document that Ukrainian experts together with state authorities have developed to implement the joint declaration of the fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen.
“Once the whole world reacted to the Chernobyl accident. Then everyone understood that radiation threatens everyone. The same with aggression and violation of the rights of the child. It is already poisoning our world, already affecting children, even those far from the front lines. So far so far. If we do not want a world without rights for our children, I urge everyone to respond to threats as adults should. That is, to act,” concluded Olena Zelenska.
The event was held at the initiative of the global platform of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, which indicates the scaling of the project launched by the wife of the President of Ukraine in 2021.
The co-organizers of the event were Ukraine, Estonia, Belize, Lithuania, Suriname, Finland, Malawi, Guatemala, the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada, and UNICEF. The speakers are the first ladies of the countries that joined the organization. The first lady of the USA, Dr. Jill Biden, made a special speech.
The event was also attended by Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Jolie, wife of the President of the European Council Amelie Derbaudrengien, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heyden, Vice President and Global Head of Google Maggie Johnson, Director of the Global Fund for Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises Education Cannot Wait Yasmin Sherif , as well as representatives of youth – a programmer and defender of the rights of children – victims of sexual violence from Belize and an environmental defender from Senegal.
The event was moderated by the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Serhiy Kyslytsia.
