Advisor - President's Commissioner for Children's Rights and Children's Rehabilitation Daria Herasymchuk met with experts of the third human dimension mechanism of the OSCE applied in the context of the Russian aggression, which will focus on the issue of forced deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia, including illegal adoption and assimilation in Russia.
The meeting was attended by experts of the third mechanism of the OSCE: Dr. Elina Steinerte (Latvia), Professor Veronika Bílková (Czech Republic) and Cecilie Hellestveit (Norway), who have extensive experience in the field of international humanitarian law and human rights.
They arrived in Ukraine to collect data and facts about the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation with the subsequent change of the child's personal status, including citizenship, separation from parents or guardians, adoption, other violations or abuses leading to forced assimilation.
Daria Herasymchuk noted that Ukraine strives to completely stop the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation and insists on their safe return to their homeland and reunification with their families in accordance with the interests of the child and international law.
"We thank you for the launch of the third OSCE mechanism and are ready to provide all the support you need to receive the necessary information. I am convinced that not only Ukraine, but also the entire European and world community are looking forward to your conclusions regarding the issue of the deportation of Ukrainian children," emphasized the Advisor - President's Commissioner for Children's Rights and Children's Rehabilitation.
During the meeting, the OSCE experts received information about the situation with Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, and heard the stories told by the children after returning to their homeland.
Daria Herasymchuk expressed her belief that the international legal mechanism should not only prove the criminality of the intentions and actions of the Russian occupiers towards Ukrainian children, but also lay the foundation for the protection of children from other countries of the world.
"Protecting the children of Ukraine today, we take care of the safety of all the children of the world tomorrow. Evil must know that it will not go unpunished," said the Advisor - President's Commissioner for Children's Rights and Children's Rehabilitation.