Safeguarding Children from Forced Transfers and Deportation

On August 27, 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine, the Bring Kids Back UA Task Force presented its new White Paper titled “Safeguarding Children from Forced Transfers and Deportation”, in front of a global audience comprising of Ukrainian government officials, international human rights lawyers, academics, NGOs and more. The critical document produced by the Task Force addresses one of the most pressing issues arising from Russia’s war of aggression: the protection of affected Ukrainian children from forced transfers and deportations by Russian forces.

The presentation focused on the White Paper’s key findings regarding the systematic forced transfer and deportation of affected Ukrainian children by Russian forces. Through analysing existing documentation of these practices, the Task Force presents their critique of the justifications provided by the Russian Federation for such actions. The paper also explores the potential violations of international law, including breaches of International Humanitarian Law, International Criminal Law, and International Human Rights Law.

Members of the Ukrainian government and the Bring Kids Back UA Task Force in attendance included: Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Co-Chair of Bring Kids Back UA Task Force, Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Daria Herasymchuk, Advisor - Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights and Rehabilitation, and Daria Zarivna, Senior Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; Chief Operating Officer at Bring Kids Back UA among others.

In Andriy Yermak’s welcoming address, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine said: “The White Paper we are presenting today is at the heart of Ukrainian efforts to engage the international community in restoring sustainable justice. Point four of Ukraine’s peace formula and the Bring Kids Back UA Initiative has the clear goal to return every stolen child and bring them back home without conditions or exceptions. This is not just a state initiative – it is our duty to our children and future generation.”

Yermak continued: “Today we are not just presenting a document, we are urging action. We call to the international community to decisively condemn this crime and do everything possible to return our Ukrainian children.”

Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, added: “The White Paper depicts the elements of one of the most well planned and organised international crimes by the Russian Federation. We need to mobilise our efforts in order to locate and safely return all Ukrainian children. I fully believe that we can succeed through joint actions and efforts expressly outlined in the White Paper, including in our quest for justice and accountability. Time is of the essence. Therefore, I would encourage all stakeholders to endorse this document and take feasible measures for its effective implementation.”

Sharanjeet Parmar, member of the Bring Kids Back UA Task Force and former lecturer at Harvard Law School and child crimes prosecutor with the Special Court for Sierra Leone, presented the key.