The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has unanimously adopted a resolution on the Situation of Ukrainian Children. It calls on Russia and Belarus to immediately stop the deportation and forced displacement of children and to recognize the deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia as genocide by PACE member states. This was reported by UNN with reference to representatives of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE and the draft resolution.
Details
"PACE has just unanimously voted for the resolution "The State of Ukrainian Children"!" Maria Mezentseva, head of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, wrote in Telegram.
According to her, the document focuses on:
1. Five groups of children: those who remain in Ukraine; those who are internally displaced; those who have found temporary protection in Europe; those who are currently missing; and those who have been deported or forcibly displaced to Russia and Belarus.
2. Assembly calls for the return of all deported Ukrainian children
3. The Assembly welcomes the implementation of the action plan "Bring Kids Back UA" and the formation of the International Coalition of Countries for the Return of Ukrainian Children, as contained in President Zelenskyy's "Formula for Peace".
4. Allocate up to $5 billion for the needs of temporarily displaced children and their families.
According to the draft of the adopted resolution, the Assembly calls on PACE member states to "adopt statements and/or resolutions at the level of national parliaments condemning war crimes against children and recognizing the deportations, forced displacement and unjustified delay in the repatriation of Ukrainian children, including orphans, children deprived of parental care and other unaccompanied children under the control of the Russian Federation, as a crime of genocide, while emphasizing the need for the prompt return of deported and forcibly displaced children to Ukraine in accordance with the principle of the best interests of the child"
The Assembly also calls on Russia and Belarus:
- Immediately and unconditionally cease the practice of deportation and forced displacement to the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, the Russian Federation and Belarus, stop placing Ukrainian children for adoption or guardianship, stop imposing Russian citizenship and name changes, and restore contact between these children and their parents or guardians, or, in the case of loss of parents or guardians, the competent Ukrainian authorities, with a view to their immediate repatriation to their homeland or release to a safe third country;
- provide the Ukrainian authorities or a third party (state or international organization) with comprehensive and reliable information on the number and location of Ukrainian children in this situation, their names and surnames, their origin and destination of deportation, in order to ensure their safe return to Ukraine;
- Provide representatives of relevant United Nations bodies and other international humanitarian and human rights organizations, such as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other competent UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), with unimpeded, immediate and safe access to children.