On 9 July, Secretary General Alain Berset will open a High-level stock-taking conference on the situation of the Children of Ukraine: Council of Europe Actions.
Co-organised by the Council of Europe’s Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine (CGU) and the Maltese Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, the event will review progress to date, identify existing gaps, and set the direction for the next phase of coordinated action in support of children of Ukraine as a direct implementation of the Reykjavik Declaration.
Key speakers will include:
- Hon. Michael Falzon, Minister for Social Policy and Children’s Rights of Malta;
- Mariana Betsa, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine;
- Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, Special Envoy of Council of Europe Secretary General on the situation of children of Ukraine;
- Iryna Postolovska, Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine for European Integration;
- Olena Khomenko, Chair of the Parliamentary Network on the situation of the children of Ukraine (PACE);
- Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate (video message); and
- Markiyan Kliuchkovskyi, Executive Director of the Register of Damage for Ukraine.
The high-level session will be moderated by the Council of Europe Director General of Democracy and Human Dignity, Marja Ruotanen, and will be livestreamed.
The conference will be followed by a Special Hearing on the impact of war on children of Ukraine with disabilities. This hearing aims to identify urgent risks and challenges faced by this vulnerable group and explore ways to strengthen responses.
Prior to the conference, on 7-8 July, the CGU will hold its 6th plenary meeting. Over these three days, member states, international organisations, civil society, and independent experts will address the most pressing issues affecting children of Ukraine. Topics will include preconditions for the safe return from host states to Ukraine, trauma-informed care and access to education, prevention of human trafficking, and the reform of Ukraine’s child protection system.
Calls for Tenders
