Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge opened the "Lost Childhood" photo exhibition at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The exhibition features the work of photographer Roman Pashkoviskyi, who has captured the haunted eyes of Ukrainian children returned home after being unlawfully deported to Russia. It also highlights drawings and stories by the children themselves, who represent just a fraction of all those removed from their homes, and who have often suffered further severe trauma including injuries or the loss of parents and siblings.
"Today, we are invited to have a glimpse of the terror and loss that is their permanent nightmare. It is difficult for us to relate to the world these children see. But through their drawings and their stories, we may try, just for an instant, to begin to understand what they have gone through," said the Deputy Secretary General Berge.
Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Ambassador Tanja Gonggrijp, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Council of Europe said: "The Netherlands is deeply concerned about Russia's deliberate practice of deportation and russification of Ukrainian children. We cannot fail these Ukrainian children. We must use our voices to send the message we can read in their eyes. We must help those who cannot speak for themselves. We have the responsibility to make a difference. In words and in deeds."
"As of today, 19 546 children have been deported or forcibly displaced, while only 1 605 have been returned. Behind each figure is a stolen childhood and a grieving family. Since the beginning of Russia's unprovoked aggression, Ukraine has worked to counter these crimes. Under the initiative of the President of Ukraine, the Bring Kids Back UA we unite the efforts of Ukrainian authorities, partner countries, and international organizations to put an end to Russia's genocidal policies and to ensure that such tragedies will never be repeated," said Valentyn Skuratovskyi, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the Council of Europe.
The Council of Europe has established concrete initiatives to address the plight of children in Ukraine, including a Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine, set up in 2023 and the Network on the Situation of the Children of Ukraine launched by the Parliamentary Assembly. This year the Secretary General nominated Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir (Iceland) as his Special Envoy on the Situation of the Children of Ukraine.
The event was co-organised by the Permanent Representations to the Council of Europe of Ukraine and the Netherlands.
Speech by Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge
