On March 13, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Iryna Borovets participated in an open debate of the United Nations Security Council on the topic: "Promoting Conflict Prevention and Sustaining Peace: Advancing Conflict Prevention - Broadening the Participation of All, Including Women and Youth" initiated by the Presidency of Japan in the UN Security Council and coordinated with the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, currently underway in New York.

In her speech, Iryna Borovets emphasized the scale of the destructive impact of Russian aggression, particularly on the state of economic development in Ukraine, as well as the situation of Ukrainian women and girls.

"This war has forced almost 6.5 million Ukrainians to temporarily leave the country. Over 90% of them are women and children, who suffer perhaps the most during any armed conflict," highlighted Iryna Borovets.

The Deputy Minister devoted particular attention to the more acute and tragic problem of the abduction of Ukrainian children by the aggressor state, Russia. As of today, according to official data, there are 19,546 such cases.

In this context, Iryna Borovets called on foreign governments to join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, created to implement President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Peace Formula.

"We must unite our efforts to find practical ways to preserve Ukrainian youth for the future of our country, its recovery, and further sustainable development," Iryna Borovets noted.