ABDUCTION OF UKRAINIAN CHILDREN DURING FULL-SCALE INVASION

Abstract

Protecting and ensuring the rights of children is one of the crucial and fundamental tasks of the state, as children represent the future of any nation in the world. In the present circumstances, the attention and measures from Ukrainian authorities and society, demand clear and effective adherence to international standards regarding the rights of children, who have been illegally displaced and taken out of Ukraine. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child has the right to protection from any form of violence, including protection against illegal removal from their country. The actions taken by the aggressor state against Ukrainian children pose a direct threat to the lives and health of the civilian population, contravene international and domestic laws, and violate the constitutional rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens. Our country must ensure the restoration of children’s connections with their parents or other family members who are within the territory of Ukraine. The state authorities should exercise effective control over the exportation of children beyond the country’s borders, establish the reasons and circumstances of illegal removal, and participate in international cooperation with other countries to facilitate the return of illegally removed children to Ukrainian territory. However, in the conditions of war, fully controlling and unquestionably implementing this issue is difficult and problematic. The return of illegally removed children to Ukrainian territory and the protection of those who are in temporarily occupied territories constitutes a lengthy and challenging process that requires adequate efforts and significant legal support and resources. One of the top priorities for our state is the necessity to establish an effective system for safeguarding children’s rights, which would assist in their return to Ukrainian territory and their subsequent effective integration into society. Therefore, the practical implementation of comprehensive measures worldwide necessitates the development of new legal mechanisms for protecting children’s rights that would operate in conditions of war and allow international legal institutions to promptly respond to any violations of children’s rights.