Dariia Zarivna, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President and Chief Operating Officer of Bring Kids Back UA, Iryna Vereshchuk, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, and Daria Herasymchuk, Advisor – Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation, held a meeting with representatives of civil society. The meeting was attended by representatives of organizations involved in searching for deported and forcibly displaced children, documenting crimes against children, and assisting in the reintegration of those who have been brought home.
“We have a common goal – to improve the effectiveness of work on the search, return and reintegration of children. It is also important to document cases of deportation and forced displacement in order to achieve justice. That is why we actively involve Ukrainian civil society in Bring Kids Back UA. National organizations have unique experiences. We also cooperate with foreign organizations, paying special attention to the countries of the Global South,” Dariia Zarivna emphasized.
The Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office noted that Qatar and the Vatican are mediating the negotiation process on the return of children. After the Ministerial Conference in Montreal, South Africa plans to support the efforts of these countries. In addition, Croatia, Estonia, Argentina, Canada, and Ukraine will work together to obtain detailed information on Ukrainian deportees and displaced persons in Russia and Russian-occupied territories.
Iryna Vereshchuk pointed out that the Ministry of Justice updates data in a separate register containing information on deported and forcibly displaced children. Another important outcome of this work will be the unification of the procedure for submitting information to the register and gaining access to it.
“It is important that we have one database on deported children, the history of their displacement and their total number. Russia does not share information, so we must fully consolidate our efforts to put pressure on them. We understand that human rights activists also possess information, children and their relatives can contact organizations directly, so we need to constantly exchange data and coordinate our actions to find and return children,” she said.
Daria Herasymchuk stated that efforts are underway to promote the Stolen Voices information campaign abroad and to attract countries to the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.
She also urged civil society organizations to get involved in sharing stories of children and information about ways to rescue them: “I want the voices of Ukrainian children to be heard. To resonate loudly across the globe. Because now their voices are being stolen by the Russian authorities. And it is only up to us, the adults, to give the children back the opportunity to speak up and tell the truth.”
“Children who have experienced deportation or forced displacement need professional care and support from the very first days after their return, as they have been living in stressful circumstances and without a sense of security for a long time. That is why it is important to provide both the children and the families they return to with psychological support in addition to social assistance,” said Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder of the Voices of Children Foundation.
During the meeting, civil society representatives shared their feedback on interaction with the President's initiative Bring Kids Back UA and made suggestions for joint information campaigns, as well as active involvement of experts in projects aimed at reintegration and restoration of justice for children.