4 December 2024
Colleagues,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.
I thank the US Presidency for today’s initiative. It serves as an important and necessary reminder that children are a major victim of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. I thank UNICEF Executive Director Russell and the civil society representatives for their briefings and their efforts to promote child protection in Ukraine.
We are deeply alarmed by the devastating impact of Russia’s aggression on children. The numbers speak for themselves. According to OHCHR, over 2,200 children have been killed or injured since the start of the invasion. Thousands of schools across Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed. In July, Russia hit Ukraine’s largest children’s medical centre, Okhmatdyt Hospital. Children are deeply affected by Russia’s deliberate strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The situation is so severe that in his report on Children and Armed Conflict, UN Secretary-General has listed Russia’s army and affiliated armed groups as responsible for committing grave violations against children in Ukraine. We reiterate our demand on Russia to uphold its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law and urge it to work with the United Nations to develop an action plan to end and prevent grave violations against children.
We also remain deeply concerned about the fate of all Ukrainian children forcibly transferred by Russia within the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine or unlawfully deported to Russia and Belarus. It is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law and the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded it amounts to war crimes. We condemn Russia’s attempted re-education and indoctrination efforts, as well as the violation of the personal status of Ukrainian children, including nationality, identity, name and family relations, as documented by the dedicated Moscow Mechanism report of the OSCE and other international monitoring mechanisms. The EU reiterates its urgent call on Russia and Belarus to immediately ensure their safe return to Ukraine and their reunification with parents or guardians, in full cooperation with the United Nations.
Russia and its leadership must be held fully accountable for waging this war of aggression and for other crimes under international law. We recall the six arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, including against President Putin and Commissioner of Children’s Rights Lvova-Belova for the war crime of the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
We commend the work of UN entities such as UNICEF and the Office of the SRSG for Children and Armed Conflict and their engagement with Ukrainian authorities to strengthen the protection of children. We welcome the joint prevention plan signed by the Government of Ukraine with the UN to prevent grave violations against children. We welcome initiatives to help bring Ukrainian children home to their families and communities, including the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.
President,
Last Sunday, on their first day in office, President of the European Council Costa, EU High Representative Kallas and Commissioner for Enlargement Kos travelled to Kyiv to demonstrate the EU’s unwavering support to the Ukrainian people and their struggle for a just and lasting peace.
Children should not have to grow up in the midst of war. And whether Ukrainian children or Russian children, they should not have to suffer the loss of their parents on the battlefields of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
International law must prevail against Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression. The aggressor must immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its forces from the entire territory of Ukraine.
I thank you.
* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.