Check against delivery – Speech by Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
President Zelenskyy,
Prime Minister Carney,
First Lady Zelenska,
Excellencies,
The children of Ukraine hold a special place in our work at the Council of Europe.
They are at the heart of our Action Plan for Ukraine.
A plan about resilience, recovery, and reconstruction.
For Ukraine’s children, resilience means survival, recovery means healing — and reconstruction means a future.
Ukraine has been the top priority of the Council of Europe since the start of the war of aggression.
In recent months, three actions show our resolve:
In February, I appointed a Special Envoy for the Children of Ukraine.
In July, the European Court of Human Rights spoke with clarity.
Russia is responsible for the unlawful transfer and adoption of Ukrainian children — and must cooperate in their safe return.
And just last week, the Register of Damage for Ukraine launched a new claims category on the forcible transfer or deportation of children.
Each day Russia’s war of aggression continues is a day taken from Ukraine’s children.
Restoring childhood is restoring humanity.
Restoring humanity is giving peace a chance.
Bring the kids back home.
Dyakuyu.