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Civil Society Organisations Unveil 12-Point Plan to Return Deported Children From Russia
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A “Joint Civil Society Statement” aimed at strengthening international efforts to repatriate thousands of Ukrainian children unlawfully deported or transferred was formally adopted on April 30 during the Civil Society and Expert Day in Kyiv, as reported by UNITED24 Media correspondent.
The document was prepared within the framework of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “Bring Kids Back UA” initiative and represents a consolidated appeal from non-governmental organizations to the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.
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It highlights what participants describe as a severe and ongoing humanitarian crisis. According to the statement, tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been forcibly removed to Russia since 2014, with large-scale deportations accelerating following the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Experts cited in the document stress that these actions are not isolated wartime incidents but rather part of a systematic policy aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity. Among the documented violations are the imposition of Russian citizenship on children and their families, forced alterations of legal and personal status, placement into Russian foster care or adoption systems, and ideological indoctrination through Russian-language education and state propaganda curricula.
The Joint Statement sets out 12 priority recommendations intended to increase international pressure on the Russian Federation and facilitate the safe return of affected children:
To continue political and economic pressure on the Russian Federation;
To adopt and uphold sanctions;
To develop and implement a coordinated Road Map for Coalition Members;
To provide explicit and sustainable support to the International Criminal Court;
To strengthen and expand the use of legal mechanisms to protect affected children;
To monitor and facilitate the implementation of the Resolution;
To prioritise consistent support for established initiatives;
To establish comprehensive international protection and safety for civil society workers and volunteers;
To undertake concrete measures;
To ensure sustained, long-term assistance for the reintegration of Ukrainian children;
To invest in the capacity of Ukrainian communities;
To create platforms for dialogue.
The document also reiterates support for the work of the International Criminal Court, particularly the enforcement of arrest warrants issued against Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova in connection with the deportation of Ukrainian children.
The statement is expected to be formally transmitted to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where it will foster discussions at the upcoming high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children scheduled for May 11.
On April 24, Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States, reported that 20,000 teddy bears were arranged on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Each bear served as a symbolic representation of a Ukrainian child abducted by Russia since the start of the 2022 full-scale invasion.
While the “Bring Kids Back UA” project has facilitated the return of over 2,000 children, a vast number remain separated from their families. Stefanishyna emphasized that a just and enduring peace cannot be realized until every one of these children is returned home.
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