The Special Envoy of the Secretary General on the situation of children of Ukraine, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, has visited Kyiv, reaffirming the Council of Europe's continued solidarity with Ukraine and its children.
Her meetings, which took place during her mission to Kyiv on 8-9 October, in Kyiv focused on accountability for crimes against children of Ukraine, their return, reintegration and rehabilitation, family-based care and continued international cooperation. The Special Envoy met with Minister of Justice, Denys Maslov; Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity, Denys Uliutin; Acting Prosecutor General, Anton Kovalskyi, and the head of the Presidential Initiative "Bring kids back UA", Maksym Maksymov and his team.
"The Council of Europe remains with Ukraine - supporting its institutions, standing alongside children and families, and working together with Ukrainian partners to ensure that every child can return, recover and build a future in safety and dignity," the Special Envoy stressed in her meetings.
Advancing rehabilitation of children, including those affected by Russia's war
As part of her visit, the Special Envoy met with Maryna Khonda, deputy head of Kyiv City State Administration, and visited the Kyiv City Rehabilitation Centre for children with disabilities, a municipal institution established by Kyiv territorial community.
The centre works with children with disabilities, including those affected by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, such as internally displaced children, combining medical and physical rehabilitation, including in a specially equipped shelter, with psychological and educational support, social rehabilitation, inclusion and support to families.
The city of Kyiv has long cooperated with the Council of Europe's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, which helps Ukrainian local authorities better serve their communities.
"Alongside my meetings with national government ministers, I have had the moving experience of seeing first-hand how children in need are cared for and supported, thanks to the dedication of the professionals working with them on the ground," the Special Envoy said. "It is at the local level that this support makes a particularly tangible difference in children's lives."
Council of Europe office champions the cause of Ukrainian children on the ground
The Council of Europe's support for the children of Ukraine is multifaceted. Alongside the Special Envoy's advocacy and bridge-building efforts, the organisation is engaged in many other initiatives.
Despite the daily security risks posed by Russia's war of aggression, the Council of Europe office in Ukraine, the organisation's largest field presence with more than 80 staff members, continues to work with its partners on a range of projects, including "Protecting the rights of Ukrainian children and ensuring child-friendly justice". The project supports Ukraine's judicial reform in the face of the challenges posed by Russia's war, with the ultimate aim of protecting children from violence and ensuring child-friendly justice.
The project focuses on children particularly at risk, including displaced children, children without parental care, and child victims or witnesses of violence. As part of the project, Ukrainian legal professionals are trained on child-friendly justice principles, while social workers, educators and other professionals gain practical skills in trauma support and psycho-social support for children.
Rapid response mechanism to address urgent legal and policy challenges
At the multilateral level, the Consultation Group for children of Ukraine - a peer-review platform comprised of representatives of 41 member states, key relevant international organisations and international and local civil society organisations - focuses on the most acute issues facing the children of Ukraine, whether they are in Ukraine, in Council of Europe member states, have returned following unlawful deportation to Russia or Belarus or are residing in temporarily occupied territories. It covers areas like trafficking risks, trauma-informed psychological support, pre-conditions for safe return from Council of Europe member states to Ukraine, the impact of war on children with disabilities, access to inclusive education, and accountability for crimes against children, , including IT-induced and AI-generated violence in the context of war, conflict-related sexual violence, and the impact of indoctrination and militarisation on the mental health and development of children. The group will present a report on the impact of indoctrination, militarisation, and re-education on children's identity, mental health and reintegration during an event on 1 December in Strasbourg.
