The meeting at the Office of the President was led by Daria Zarivna, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President and Chief Operating Officer of Bring Kids Back UA, Iryna Vereshchuk, Deputy Head of the Office of the President, and Daria Herasymchuk, Advisor and Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights and Rehabilitation. It was attended by organizations involved in locating deported and forcibly transferred children, documenting crimes against them, and assisting with the reintegration of those who have been brought back home.
"Our shared goal is to make the work on locating, returning, and reintegrating children more effective. It’s also crucial to document cases of deportation and forced displacement to ensure justice is served. That’s why we are actively engaging Ukrainian civil society in Bring Kids Back UA. The experience of national organizations is unique. At the same time, we are collaborating with international organizations, with a particular focus on countries in the Global South," emphasized Daria Zarivna.
Iryna Vereshchuk noted that the Ministry of Justice is currently updating data in a dedicated registry containing information about deported and forcibly displaced children. An important outcome of this work will be the standardization of procedures for submitting information to the registry and accessing it.
"It’s essential for us to have a single database on deported children, their movement history, and their numbers. Russia does not provide information, so we must combine our efforts to apply maximum pressure on them. We understand that human rights organizations also have data, as children and their families may contact these organizations directly. Therefore, we need to continuously exchange information and coordinate efforts to locate and return the children," she said.
Daria Herasymchuk called on civil society organizations to help amplify the stories of these children and the means of their rescue: "I want the voices of Ukrainian children to be heard—loudly and worldwide. Right now, their voices are being stolen by the Russian authorities. It is within our power, as adults, to restore their ability to speak out and tell the truth."
During the meeting, representatives of the civil sector provided feedback on their interaction with the Bring Kids Back UA initiative and made suggestions for joint information campaigns. They also proposed actively involving experts in projects aimed at reintegration and achieving justice for the children.