Following her nomination as Special Envoy of the Council of Europe Secretary General on the situation of children of Ukraine in February 2025, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir engaged in her first fact-finding mission to Ukraine on 19-20 March 2025.
"I am committed to making every possible effort to advance the protection of children's rights in Ukraine and to assist its people in their pursuit of peace and justice," Thórdís Gylfadóttir said. "Everything that happens to Ukrainian children must be documented, spoken about openly, and safeguarded. Ukraine demonstrates incredible resilience in this work. My role is to be of service, strengthening these efforts by connecting the right people, organisations, and media within Ukraine and beyond. We must keep the issue of child protection and accountability at the centre of international attention."
During her visit, the Special Envoy had productive meetings with a wide range of key partners to discuss the plight of the children of Ukraine affected by Russia's war of aggression, wherever they are. During her meeting with the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, they together visited the Child Protection Centre, where she spoke to three boys who had returned after being unlawfully deported by the Russian Federation.
Accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine for European Integration, Iryna Postalovska, the Special Envoy also visited the Ohmatdyt children's hospital, which was hard hit by a massive missile attack in 2024.
File: Russia's war against Ukraine
