Civil Society and Expert Day of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children held in Kyiv

Civil Society and Expert Day was held in Kyiv as part of the work of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. The event was organized by the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Embassy of Canada in Ukraine and the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine.

Key address

The special guest of the event was President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who addressed participants immediately after the young Ukrainians spoke during the Young Voices: The Road Home session.

“One of the most cynical Russian war crimes is the systematic, calculated transfer of Ukrainian children, scattering them across Russia, concealing their fate, ‘reprogramming’ their culture, and continuously, shamelessly subjecting them to militarization. It is vitally important to bring our children back home from there. Before the Russians break them. And every initiative, every activity, every effort that helps achieve this also helps Ukraine,” said President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing participants.

How the day unfolded

The day opened with remarks by Olena Kondratiuk, Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; Nataliia Cmoc, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine; and Gediminas Navickas, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine. The opening remarks focused on the role of civil society as an equal partner in the ecosystem of children’s return and on the need for a whole-of-society approach.

“Civil society plays a central role in efforts to return Ukrainian children, support their reintegration, and seek justice for the crimes committed against them. The international community relies on your work — tracing, documenting, carrying out thorough case management, and supporting reintegration — as it gives weight to our diplomatic efforts. Without your objective evidence and expertise, political commitments risk remaining abstract. Your work is indispensable, and we thank you for your determination,” said Nataliia Cmoc, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine.

Panel I — Mechanisms of return

The panel focused on humanitarian and diplomatic channels for returning children, the role of third countries, and international partners. The discussion featured Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights; Andrii Pasternak, Head of the Joint Centre for the Coordination of the Search and Release of Prisoners of War and Unlawfully Detained Civilians under the Security Service of Ukraine; Mykola Kuleba, Founder and CEO of Save Ukraine; and Daria Kasianova, Chair of the Board of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network. The panel was moderated by Maksym Maksymov, Head of Bring Kids Back UA.

Panel II — Tracing and verification

The panel focused on how civil society, OSINT teams, and international partners establish the whereabouts of children. Speakers included Liudmyla Suhak, Acting Minister of Justice of Ukraine; Mariana Betsa, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Iryna Suslova, PFRU Analytical Coordinator; Viktoriia Samoilenko, OSINT analyst and lecturer at the Molfar Intelligence Institute; and Viktoriia Novikova, war crimes researcher at The Reckoning Project. The panel was moderated by Oleksandra Dvoretska, Policy Lead at Bring Kids Back UA.

Panel III — Reintegration after return

The panel focused on reintegration after return — from the first days of response to long-term support for the child and family. Speakers included Liudmyla Shemelynets, First Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine; Gene Choi, UNICEF Child Protection Lead in Ukraine; Olena Rozvadovska, Co-founder and Chair of the Voices of Children Charitable Foundation; Olha Lopushanska, Associate Programs Director at the Ukrainian Public Health Foundation; and Kseniia Ponadtsova, Case Management Coordinator at Posmishka UA. The panel was moderated by Iryna Tuliakova, Head of the Coordination Centre for the Development of Family-Based Upbringing and Child Care.

Panel IV — Documentation and accountability

The panel focused on documenting crimes against Ukrainian children and ensuring accountability for those responsible. Speakers included Viktor Lohachov, Deputy Prosecutor General; Oleksii Nabozhniak, OSINT specialist at IDLO Ukraine; Mykola Yurlov, Counsellor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Zera Kozliieva, Legal Director at Truth Hounds; and Nazarii Lutsenko, analyst with the War Crimes Documentation Department at East SOS. The panel was moderated by Kateryna Rashevska, expert at the Regional Center for Human Rights.

Session on children in the peace process

A separate focused discussion of the day was dedicated to the guarantees for Ukrainian children that must remain inviolable in any future peace framework. Speakers included Lesia Ohryzko, Co-founder and Director of the Hetman Sahaidachnyi Center for Security Studies; Aliona Lunova, Advocacy Director at ZMINA Human Rights Centre; and Anton Drobovych, Head of the Center for Human Rights and War Memorialization at the Kyiv School of Economics. The session was moderated by Oleksandr Bevz, Adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Joint Civil Society Statement

At the closing plenary session, the Joint Civil Society Statement was presented by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha.

“The May 11 meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children in Brussels will not be an endpoint. But it must become a milestone. That is why it is so important that I go there with a position backed by civil society. With a programmatic document. With a mandate from both the state and from you. Because if we want to consolidate the world, we must be consolidated internally.“

The statement, prepared by an expert working group, sets out priority recommendations to the member states of the International Coalition across six areas.

The full text of the Joint Statement via link.