The Council of Europe’s Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine (CGU) held its eighth plenary meeting on 1-3 December 2025. The meeting included, on 3 December, a thematic expert exchange, co-hosted with Leiden University, dedicated to “Accountability for Crimes Committed against Children during Russia’s War of Aggression against Ukraine: Child-Friendly Justice and Access to Remedies”.

In her opening remarks of the expert exchange, Marja Ruotanen, Director General of Democracy and Human Dignity, Council of Europe, stressed: “Supporting children to seek justice for such atrocities is not an academic exercise. It is a legal obligation, a moral imperative, and a precondition for building a just and sustainable future for generations to come - in Ukraine and across all liberal democracies.” 

Discussions drew on lessons learned from the practice of international and hybrid courts - including the European Court of Human Rights, the International Criminal Court, and the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone - as well as insights from specialists in interviewing child victims and Ukrainian officials directly involved in national investigations and prosecutions of crimes against children.

A clear message emerged from the discussions: accountability efforts will only succeed when justice processes are built around children’s realities, are accessible, protective, and empowering, and anchored not just in their immediate needs but in a long-term vision for their rights and recovery.

The CGU’s work forms part of the Council of Europe’s broader commitment to securing accountability for Russia’s war of aggression, including through the Register of Damage for Ukraine, which documents losses to enable future claims for reparation, and ongoing efforts towards establishing a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

With the exception of the opening, as per usual practice, the expert exchange was held under the Chatham House Rule.