Today, Ukraine and Canada officially launched the work of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children and presented its Framework.
The meeting was opened by Andriy Yermak, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, who thanked Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs for Canada’s leadership in inspiring the global efforts to unite and work together within the International Coalition.
At the meeting, the Governments of Ukraine and Canada jointly presented the Framework as a founding document of the International Coalition that defines its mandate, goals, guiding principles and areas of activity. In addition, the Framework explains what membership in the International Coalition entails and outlines the ways in which countries can participate in its work.
As noted by Andriy Yermak, “It is extremely important that the International Coalition unites around principles and goals that are consistent with the principles of humanity, freedom and the value of human life.”
In support of the ultimate objective to accelerate the safe return of the kidnapped Ukrainian children, the International Coalition will focus on specific objectives: joint efforts coordination, information sharing, capabilities alignment, and advocacy and communication.
“I am very pleased that Canada is joining Ukraine to launch the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. Our goal is to ensure that every child is protected. We will assist Ukraine in collaborating with many countries in the coalition, including those in the Global South, to advocate for these cases. Additionally, we will involve partner countries, experts, and civil society in this effort,” said Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Before and during today's meeting of the International Coalition, an additional 6 countries, including Belgium, Great Britain, Denmark, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, and Germany, officially became members. This brings the total number of participating countries to 28.
Other states and international organizations are invited to join the International Coalition and support its efforts.