The Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Maryna Lazebna held a meeting with the European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Šuica. The main topic of the meeting was the protection of the rights and interests of Ukrainian children who were forced to flee to EU member states in search of salvation and shelter in connection with russia's military actions against Ukraine.
Maryna Lazebna informed about the measures taken by the Government of
Ukraine aimed at expanding cooperation with EU member states to evacuate children from vulnerable categories and protect their rights. Coordinated evacuation of more than 10,000 children from vulnerable categories has been provided. Almost 6,900 children have been relocated abroad. Of these, 3,647 children - from social care institutions and 3,238 children from family forms of education. All children are relocated with accompanying persons.After the deoccupation of settlements where the russian military has carried out continuous shelling and atrocities, every effort is being made to help children who have families but have survived the horrors of war and need psychological rehabilitation and the safest environment, basic living conditions to meet their needs.
In the deoccupied territories, activities are underway to demine, restore the connection of the main life support and supply networks. Houses have been destroyed and traces of bombings can be seen all around - in such conditions it rather hard for children to restore their psychological condition.
Among the foreign countries that have sheltered the most of our children are Poland, Germany, Italy, Austria, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Spain, Romania, the Netherlands, France and Slovakia. No country stands aside and the list of countries ready to accept Ukrainian children is growing daily.
Together with the Office of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine and the Coordination Headquarters for the protection of the rights of children under martial law, a Monitoring Group was set up. The representatives of this Group have already visited Hungary, Poland, Germany and Italy, and analysed keeping social standards and preserving the rights of children, worked out algorithms for registration and control of movement of children within the host country and within the EU, the procedure for consular registration, cooperation of government agencies and NGOs in the field of children's rights, the procedure for appointing temporary legal representatives of children in host countries, familiarized with the conditions of stay of evacuated from Ukraine children. Other EU countries are next.
The Minister also stressed the importance of speeding up the signing of bilateral Memoranda of Cooperation in the field of protection of children affected by the war in Ukraine due to the armed aggression of the russian federation the draft of which had been offered for signing by the EU member states and is currently passing through legal expertise by relevant structures of the European Commission.
Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Šuica said that the next meeting of the European Commission would take place on May 3, at which a legal assessment of the proposed document and relevant recommendations would be made.
The Vice President of the EC also provided detailed information on existing European Union’s legislation and adopted Directives designed to protect the rights and interests of children, which are respected by all Member States, and assured that every child in the European Union is protected by the best living conditions, benefits from decent care and attention.
Dubravka Šuica also informed about the active work on the development and implementation in the near future of a pan-European registration platform, which will allow real-time tracking of the location and movement within the EU of children and citizens who have received temporary protection status. This platform will facilitate the receipt of all necessary social guarantees and benefits, provide the necessary protection and rapid response to the needs of displaced Ukrainians, regardless of the host country.
In addition, the Vice President of the EC ensured strict compliance by EU member states with the requirements of the Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.
Finally, Ms. Dubravka Šuica expressed her personal admiration for the Ukrainian people, who courageously and steadfastly defend their rights and freedoms, as well as the speed of coordinated actions of the President and the Government for Ukraine's membership in the EU.
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