Denys Uliutin Called On the International Community to Show Solidarity in Supporting Ukrainian Children

An international roundtable “Convention on the Rights of the Child: How to Improve Implementation with a Focus on Mental Health” was held in Sweden. The event was dedicated to discussing ways to enhance the implementation of its provisions in today’s world, with a particular focus on children’s mental health.

The event was attended by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, Denys Uliutin, Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, Liudmyla Shemelynets, First Deputy Minister, Camilla Waltersson Grönvall, Minister for Social Services of Sweden, as well as representatives of UN agencies — UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) and Sweden’s academic and educational institutions.

Denys Uliutin emphasized the importance of ensuring children’s rights during the war, particularly the need to integrate mental health issues into the child protection system.

“When war comes, it destroys not only the buildings. Our children can distinguish the sounds of drones, rockets, and aircraft. They sleep in underground parking lots and after that go to school in the morning. They gather near the ruins of a classmate’s home, waiting for hours, hoping he will be found alive — and then they comfort one another at his funeral. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 658 children have been killed and another 2,175 have been injured in Ukraine. More than 400,000 children have suffered harm — through violence, abduction, deportation, forced displacement, or the loss of parents or guardians. Around 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain unlawfully held in the territory of the Russian Federation or in temporarily occupied territories controlled by Russia,” noted the Minister.

He emphasized that encroachments on children’s rights during the war were contrary to international law and drew attention to the need to further develop the system of psychosocial support in Ukraine.

“If we truly want to strengthen the Convention, we must make mental health a guaranteed right supported by resources, trained professionals, and clear responsibility. In Ukraine, we are building a network of Resilience Centers as a part of the national mental health program ‘How Are You?’, initiated by the First Lady. These centers help children and families receive support in safe spaces,” said Denys Uliutin.

He also noted that digital solutions are currently being developed to ensure that children have access to psychological support regardless of their location.

In addition, Denys Uliutin called on the international community to show solidarity in supporting Ukrainian children.

“Let us make sure that this generation of Ukrainian children, when they look back, will not say: ‘Our childhood was stolen.’ Let them say instead: ‘The world stood with us — and we healed,’” concluded the Minister.

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