The Ukrainian government, in cooperation with the United Nations, has extended the Joint Preventive Plan to Prevent and Stop Gross Violations of Children’s Rights. The initiative is now in its third consecutive year and is part of the UN Security Council’s global mandate on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC). The document aims to prevent six of the most serious violations: killing and maiming of children, their recruitment, and use in armed conflict, sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, abduction of children, and obstruction of humanitarian aid.
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As part of the plan, information materials have already been created for the military, including memos, instructions, and a chatbot called “The child is not alone”. Hotlines and a portal for reporting violations are also in operation. The Ukrainian government has formed an interagency working group and an office of the CAAC commissioner to coordinate the implementation of the plan at the national level. Training for CAAC coordinators in the Armed Forces of Ukraine will begin soon, teaching them how to apply international standards for the protection of children in combat zones.
The continuation of the plan is integrated with the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA, which aims to return children who have been illegally removed or deported from Ukraine. According to the UN, since the start of the full-scale invasion, 669 children have been confirmed dead and another 1,833 have been injured. UNICEF reports that the war has affected the lives of about 1.5 million children in Ukraine, 3.7 million people are internally displaced, and 6.2 million are abroad as refugees.
The document was signed by Daria Gerasymchuk, Advisor to the President of Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, UN System Coordinator in Ukraine, and Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine.
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