14:08 22.07.2016

Kuleba informs EU delegation about children's rights violations in temporarily occupied territories

3 min read
Kuleba informs EU delegation about children's rights violations in temporarily occupied territories

President's Special Envoy on children's rights Mykola Kuleba has taken part in the roundtable meeting, entitled "Human Rights Dialogue," in the framework of cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union, which purpose was to discuss the current state of human rights in Ukraine, including children's rights observance in conditions of military conflict in Donbas.

"Consequences of the armed conflict include the loss of parents for many children, psychological trauma, stress, divorce, relocation and broken relationships with friends. Now every third child needs psychological help. At the same time, about 600,000 children continue residing on the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Unfortunately, quite often these children are victims of manipulation, drawn into military actions that is contrary to the laws and moral principles," the press service of the Ukrainian president quotes Kuleba.

According to the report, Kuleba informed his companions that there is no aggregate picture of children's rights violations on the temporarily occupied territories, but the media and independent experts give some examples of the use of children as "human shields," creation of camps where children are trained to handle weapons, the use of children for intelligence gathering or checkpoint protection.

The envoy also noted that Ukraine is a party to the UN Convention on the chidren's rights and the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on children's rights in the armed conflict. In accordance with Article 4 of the above mentioned Optional Protocol, the recruitment or usage of persons under the age of 18 in hostilities is strictly prohibited. This rule is also implemented in the national legislation of Ukraine. In particular, the Law of Ukraine "On Protection of Childhood" stipulates that the participation of children in hostilities and armed conflicts, children's involvement or military entanglement or war propaganda are banned.

At the same time, there are no real mechanisms for bringing to justice decision-makers that involve juveniles into participation of illegal military formations, the statement of Ukrainian president press service reads.

The situation with the "open" borders in Ukraine through which undocumented children are exported to the Russian Federation is of particular concern. "We are talking about children who are taken outside Ukraine by one of the parents (a mother or a father) without the knowledge and consent of the other parent. Such acts are qualified as the international kidnapping of children. It is very difficult in Ukraine to find and return such children," Kuleba said.

Kuleba also drew attention to the illegality of the decision of self-proclaimed authorities of temporarily occupied territories on the adoption of children, taking them away from their parents, giving up children to be raised under the foster care, custody by other persons, deprivation of parental rights, etc.

As emphasized in the report, on the temporarily occupied territories there have been instances of major violations of Ukrainian legislation in the sphere of children's rights protection and the basic principles of the UN Convention on the children's rights, in particular, the child's right to life, health and free development, Kuleba summerized.

The prospects of Ukraine's accession to the Rome Statute as a mechanism to bring to justice perpetrators of war crimes in eastern Ukraine including against children and women were discussed at the meeting..

Representatives of the European Union delegation noted that international organizations will continue contributing to Ukraine in complex issues settlement of the humanitarian mission.

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