Check against delivery - Speech by Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir, Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe

First, the topic of this event really captures the issue well: restoring childhood. First, I would like to say that it is obvious that without trauma-informed care for children of Ukraine any reconstruction effort would represent an almost empty promise of rebuilding Ukraine. What we mean by that it that it is not enough to rebuild roads, bridges, and energy infrastructure. To truly rebuild after the war you must rebuild the worth of the nation: the children, our future, and the future of Ukraine.

And whether these children were evacuated or fled Ukraine in search for safety, their lives are upended, and their future is uncertain. Whether they remained in Ukraine and continued to live in constant fear and disruption of their safety and freedom. Or whether they have been unlawfully deported and ripped from their family, and have seen their most fundamental rights being violated. The impact is debilitating. And when we look at the time: three and a half years for a child is a lifetime. So, we have to look at concrete steps, what can we do – from practical support to accountability measures on a bigger scale. It is our duty to make sure that our children have an opportunity to rebuild, be safe, trust again and have a bright future.

And in the face of the magnitude of the problem, one can quickly feel powerless for how one can truly repair such evil. And many important initiatives, both nationally and internationally, seek to address these needs. And the need to ensure access to healthcare, both for healing psychological scars, is great, in particular, psychological scars in deep-rooted trauma, can take a lifetime to heal.

Notable is also the fact that the Register of Damage for Ukraine, in addition to the claims category, recently opened, on unlawful transfer and deportation of children, will open a category for the lack of access to healthcare and education.

When I attended the Network conference in Helsinki in May, I had argued that there wouldn’t be any justice, unless the plight of Ukrainian children is appropriately addressed. I know, we all agree on that. I believe that the most acute need is rehabilitation through trauma-informed care. And indeed, trauma-informed care and accountability are vital preconditions to any sustainable reconstruction. Trauma-informed support is essential. And is a need in itself, to be able to address deep emotional scars that the war has left on these children and to avoid their retraumatisation.

And it is also very much linked to any effective accountability process. By ensuring the accuracy of children’s testimonies in the criminal investigations and also for the subsequent trial.

As the war of aggression drags into its fourth year, it is more apparent than even that Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts and any hope for sustainable peace can only be achieved if there is effective accountability. And effective accountability is based on trauma-informed approach.

And despite deep-rooted, wide-spread and debilitating trauma among war-affected children of Ukraine, many frontline professionals working with children, they do lack training in trauma-informed care and children’s rights, both within and outside Ukraine.

The Council of Europe has done a lot and continues to develop comprehensive trauma-informed materials, such as manuals and training courses for front-line professionals working with children in times of crisis,  including journalists. However, given the extent of the trauma, coupled with the cost of implementing such training effectively on a large scale, financial support is needed.

There is a lot that we have to do. There is a lot that has been done. But we have to do our utmost to give all children of Ukraine the opportunity and possibility to rebuild, to trust again and to believe in a bright future in Ukraine.