On 9 March, the Special Envoy of the Secretary General on the situation of children of Ukraine, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir, visited Geneva to take part in discussions on the margins of the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council focusing on the protection and return of Ukrainian children affected by the war.

The Special Envoy participated in the side event “Protecting Ukrainian Children: Return as the Beginning, Not the End”, jointly organised by the Permanent Missions of Estonia, Iceland and Ukraine to the United Nations in Geneva. The event brought together representatives of the Joint Centre at the Security Service of Ukraine for coordination of the search and release of prisoners of war and persons unlawfully deprived of liberty as a result of aggression against Ukraine, the BringKidsBack UA initiative and the Kids at Home UA project.

The discussion addressed the complex challenges related to the return, rehabilitation and reintegration of Ukrainian children affected by the war, including those unlawfully deported or transferred. The Special Envoy underlined the importance of strengthening coordination among existing international and national mechanisms and initiatives addressing the return and protection of Ukrainian children, their, recovery and long-term reintegration.

During the visit, The Special Envoy discussed  with representatives of Baltic countries, Nordic countries, as well as Croatia, the EU, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Republic of Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Ukraine, and the UK practical ways to support the safe return and reintegration of deported Ukrainian children. She stressed that countering crimes against children must remain a priority for Europe, with the Council of Europe playing a central role in ensuring accountability and protecting children’s rights amid the war.

The Special Envoy also met with Vanessa Frazier, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. This meeting, the third since the start of the Special Envoy’s mandate in 2025, is part of the regular dialogue between the Council of Europe and the United Nations. The exchange highlighted the importance of continued information sharing on the protection and reintegration of children affected by the war in Ukraine.