On the instructions of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a Ukrainian delegation led by the Presidential Advisor – Commissioner for Children’s Rights and Child Rehabilitation, Daria Herasymchuk, visited Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador.
Meetings were held with parliamentarians, government officials, ombudspersons, civil society activists, and journalists. The Ukrainian representatives shared facts about the killing and wounding of Ukrainian children during Russia’s aggression, as well as cases of sexual violence, deportation, and forced displacement of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation.
Daria Herasymchuk presented President Zelenskyy’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative and the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. She invited experts from Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru to join the International Expert Group Bring Kids Back UA.
“I propose that your countries become friends of Ukraine and partners in building a global system of child protection. Because this is not only about Ukrainian children. Today, these are our children, but tomorrow they could be children from any country”, she emphasized.
The delegation also included two Ukrainians who shared their personal stories. One of them, as a child, survived the siege of Mariupol in 2022, was abducted by Russians, and forcibly transferred to temporarily occupied territories. The other grew up and studied in occupied Luhansk.
In addition, during a meeting with representatives of relevant institutions in Mexico, agreements were reached on areas of cooperation and exchange of experience in child-friendly justice, the protection of children’s rights, and the investigation of crimes against children.
Lawmakers in Peru stressed their solidarity with Ukraine, their commitment to peace, and to protecting the most vulnerable categories of Ukrainians.
In Ecuador, the delegation met with members of the country’s National Assembly, heads of UN and UNICEF offices, and held talks with Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, María Gabriela Sommerfeld Rosero. She noted that her country shares Ukraine’s concern for the fate of children worldwide.
As a result of the visit, Ukraine expects Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador to join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.
The visit was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine with financial support from the International Renaissance Foundation and within the framework of the European Commission’s project “EU-Ukraine Strategic Communications Capacity-Building Initiative”.