EU Statement -- UN General Assembly: 11th Emergency Special Session on Ukraine

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President, 

Thank you for convening this meeting. 

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the EU as well as the following Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The past weeks, we have worked closely with the missions of Ukraine and Canada to put forward this resolution. We did so because we believe it is important for the international community to remain seized of the intolerable situation of Ukrainian children, who have been unlawfully deported or transferred since Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014. 

Let me be clear: all children affected by conflicts need our full attention. The latest report of the Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict showed an alarming increase in violations committed against children in conflict situations. We must do more to prevent such violations, and ensure accountability is brought to bear against perpetrators.

In this specific case, the evidence about the forcible transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children speaks for itself. The inhumane practice of forced child deportations and transfers has been credibly corroborated by international organisations, including the UN, through the Office of the SRSG for Children and Armed Conflict, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Independent Commission of Inquiry. Senior Russian officials themselves, including some against whom the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in 2023 precisely for this, have at various moments publicly boasted of their efforts to illegally deport children from Ukraine, thereby incriminating themselves. UN and other international organizations such as the ICRC, UNICEF, and the High Commissioner for Refugees face tremendous obstacles in monitoring the situation of these children, which Russia consistently tries to conceal. 

Through inclusive and transparent consultations over the course of the past month, we have engaged the UN membership, first through the members of the International Coalition of the Return of Ukrainian Children, and subsequently through broader consultations. We have carefully weighed all comments and suggestions received on our draft. 

The result is a short, focussed and operational text. It recalls the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Geneva Conventions, and encourages all efforts aimed at a resolution of the war in line with international law. In three operative paragraphs, the resolution demands Russia ensure the immediate, safe and unconditional return of Ukrainian children, and cease its forcible transfer and deportation, and requests the UN Secretary-General to exercise his good offices to facilitate the children’s return and ensure access for international monitoring and humanitarian organisations. 

Many countries in this Assembly have called for an end to this brutal war in line with the UN Charter. The European Union has repeatedly called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and for genuine peace negotiations, even in the midst of continued Russian bombings. But the abducted children of Ukraine cannot wait for the final outcome. We have the moral responsibility and authority not to stay idle. The implementation of this resolution will go a long way in addressing one of the most dramatic consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This call for action is a testimony to the basic principles of the UN Charter and a glimmer of hope for so many children and their families. 

Colleagues, I respectfully ask you to co-sponsor the text and vote in favour. 

I thank you.