On January 24, at its first thematic meeting, the Council for Human Rights, Gender Equality and Diversity at the MFA of Ukraine discussed the issues of children, prisoners of war and civilian hostages captured by the Russian Federation.

Deputy Minister Iryna Borovets appealed to Ukraine's international partners and representatives of international organizations to take decisive measures to return abducted children, illegally detained civilians and prisoners of war who are suffering in inhumane conditions.

"In this war, we have no right to shift attention from the main thing: this is a war for people first and foremost. We must demand concrete actions from international organizations, not verbal jousting," the diplomat emphasized.

The tragic memories and emotional testimonies of the recently released prisoner of war Andriy Starinshchak, who had been in Russian captivity since day one of the full-scale invasion, as well as captured soldiers’ family members Tetiana Matyushenko and Victoria Cheremisina, confirmed the extraordinary urgency of such actions.

Representatives of civil society, the diplomatic corps and international organizations accredited in Ukraine, the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, and other relevant government agencies supported the adoption of the Council's statement, emphasizing the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians in the context of the implementation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Peace Formula.

The Council for Human Rights, Gender Equality and Diversity at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was established on the initiative of Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba. It is a permanent advisory body to provide expert assistance, support the activities of the MFA and foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine, and hold consultations on the topics of human rights, gender equality and diversity. The Council is a platform for exchanging views and finding creative solutions.