As part of the Ministerial Conference on Human Dimension of the Peace Formula, an open conversation was held with Ukrainian tennis player, Olympic bronze medalist, and ambassador of the President of Ukraine’s initiative Bring Kids Back UA, Elina Svitolina. The discussion was moderated by Canada’s first Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, Jacqueline O’Neill.
The main topic of the meeting was strategic approaches to maintaining international attention on violations of children's rights, particularly Russia’s war crimes—forced displacement and deportation of Ukrainian children.
In her opening remarks, Elina Svitolina shared about a children's home in Kherson from which 40 children were forcibly taken to Crimea during the occupation. The ambassador of Bring Kids Back UA emphasized the need to hold those responsible accountable and to bring these children back home.
Elina Svitolina also spoke about her meeting with the children who were successfully returned to Ukraine.
“Their resilience is inspiring. Each of them has gone through incredible hardships before returning to Ukraine. Yet they continue to fight to rebuild their lives,” she stressed.
During the open discussion, the role of social media in supporting initiatives like Bring Kids Back UA was also addressed.
“The least we can do is to remember these children and share their stories with our followers, listeners, viewers, and supporters. Such crimes should not be forgotten or seen as the norm. But you can do more. You can pressure Russia by finding and using every possible lever to genuinely facilitate the return of these children. It is your direct responsibility,” Elina Svitolina concluded, addressing the participants of the Ministerial Conference.
