“Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President Daria Zarivna presented in the European Parliament the initiative of the Head of the Ukrainian State Bring Kids Back UA, as well as the work of the International Expert Group, which is co-chaired by the Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and the Director of the Institute of Human Rights of the International Association of Lawyers Lady Helena Kennedy. The recommendations of the second White Paper were presented.”, — write: www.president.gov.ua
Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President Daria Zarivna presented in the European Parliament the initiative of the Head of the Ukrainian State Bring Kids Back UA, as well as the work of the International Expert Group, which is co-chaired by the Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and the Director of the Institute of Human Rights of the International Association of Lawyers Lady Helena Kennedy. The recommendations of the second White Paper were presented.
The head of the Office of the President, Andriy Yermak, made a video address during the conference “Forced displacement and deportation of Ukrainian children: current situation and call for collective action”.
“Each child’s story is a reminder of the urgent need not only to find and return home, but also to protect the values of community, dignity and justice that are the foundation of the European Union. If children have the strength to stand up to an aggressor, we should be just as brave,” he said.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, announced the full support of Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative from the EP.
“Russia’s war against Ukraine is a challenge to international norms and moral responsibility. The criminal displacement of Ukrainian children is one of the most shocking violations that requires a quick response,” she said.
The co-chair of the Bring Kids Back UA International Expert Group, Lady Helena Kennedy, spoke about the conclusions and recommendations of the first White Paper “Protection of Children from Forced Displacement and Deportation”.
“Russia began the mass deportation of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories a few days before the start of the full-scale invasion. This was not rescue from the war zone, as Russia claimed, it was something else entirely. It was deportation,” she emphasized.
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, separately emphasized that in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the aggressor country is implementing a policy of destroying Ukrainian identity, primarily aimed at children and teenagers.
Daria Zarivna, who is the operational director of Bring Kids Back UA, presented the recommendations of the second White Book “Reintegration of children who survived deportation and forced displacement: international standards and best practices for Ukraine.”
“The return of children home is only the beginning of their reintegration and restoration of rights. Children need our support to heal and rebuild their lives in a safe environment in accordance with the best international standards,” she said.
In addition, Ukraine presented the results of the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of the Peace Formula, which took place in Canada on October 30-31: the Joint Communiqué and the Montreal Commitments, which should facilitate the return of all captured and deported Ukrainians.
Also within the framework of these events in Brussels, Daria Zarivna, Helena Kennedy and Vice President of the European Parliament Pina Picerno opened the exhibition Bring Kids Back UA – “Lost Childhood”. The photos of the Ukrainian photographer Roman Pashkovsky show the eyes of children who managed to return home after deportation. Their drawings and stories are also presented at the exhibition.
