The UN Security Council discusses crimes against Ukrainian children committed by the Russian Federation
The war waged by Russia against Ukraine brought not only the destruction of infrastructure and the death of thousands of civilians, but also crimes against Ukrainian children. Today, the world community is trying to draw attention to this terrible side of the war, which endangers not only the physical existence of children, but also their right to a national identity.
Meeting of the UN Security Council
On December 4, the UN Security Council convened a meeting dedicated to maintaining peace and security in Ukraine. About it in Telegram reported head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak. The main topic was crimes against Ukrainian children who became victims of Russia’s policy.
An important aspect of the discussion was the report of the Humanitarian Research Laboratory of Yale University, which revealed the details of the forced transfer of children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The report shows that Russia used state resources to remove the children, forcefully adopt them and re-educate them in Russian families.
Crimes against children: shocking facts
Daria Gerasimchuk, the presidential commissioner for children’s rights, previously informed that as of the end of March 2023, the Ukrainian authorities know for sure that more than 19,500 children were illegally taken to Russia, but this figure may be much higher. In the occupied territories, children are forced to be militarized, taught in so-called military-patriotic clubs, depriving them of the right to a peaceful childhood.
The Humanitarian Research Laboratory at Yale University recently released a report stating that Russia used presidential jets and state funds to implement a program to forcibly remove children from the occupied territories of Ukraine. As part of this program, children were deprived of their Ukrainian identity, forced to assimilate into Russian society, and transferred to Russian families.
According to the report, in the initial stages of the full-scale invasion, 314 Ukrainian children were identified and deported to Russia.
International reaction
The world community did not stand aside. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. They are accused of illegal deportation and displacement of children.
However, despite these efforts, returning children home remains an extremely difficult process. The absence of a clear international mechanism complicates the work of the Ukrainian authorities. 49 countries of the world have already declared their readiness to help Ukraine in this struggle, but every day of inaction leaves children in the hands of kidnappers. At the same time, the Prosecutor General’s Office indicated that there is a single transparent algorithm or mechanism that provides an opportunity to return Ukrainian children deported to Russia, today there is none.
Crimes against Ukrainian children are the most egregious consequence of this war. Today’s meeting of the UN Security Council is a chance not only to draw attention to this tragedy, but also to take steps to end it. A war against children is a war against the future, and we must do everything we can to protect that future.
