This year’s Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen will feature five panels. Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska shared this in an interview with Olena Chabak, a host on the media platform "We Are Ukraine."
According to the First Lady, the main theme of the event will be child safety in armed conflicts, an issue of critical importance not only for Ukraine but for the entire world. The first panel will focus on this topic.
“Many countries have experienced or are currently experiencing similar situations. For example, the war in the Balkans still affects the people living there. Each country has different experiences, but we must globally acknowledge that international safeguards aren’t working, and something must be done about it. We will discuss the threats to children’s lives and health, as well as the abduction, indoctrination, and militarization of our children by the Russians. And, of course, we will search for solutions,” said Olena Zelenska.
The second panel will address family safety, specifically protection from physical and psychological violence, while the third will focus on safety in education.
“We’ll talk not only about physical safety but also about mental well-being and protection from bullying. Additionally, we’ll highlight the challenges Ukraine faces due to the war, from remote learning to building bomb shelters for schools and kindergartens,” the First Lady explained.
The fourth panel of the Summit will discuss children’s safety in cyberspace. There will also be a separate session dedicated to environmental safety.
The First Lady announced that one of the panels will be moderated by renowned historian Anne Applebaum. Additionally, actor and public figure Michael Douglas, a UN Messenger of Peace, is expected to speak.
The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen was initiated by Olena Zelenska in 2021. Its goal is to exchange experiences and unite the efforts of the spouses of world leaders to promote the development and well-being of nations.