MINISTERS’ DEPUTIES

Information documents

CM/Inf/DH(2026)25

3rd July 2026[1]

Overview of the ongoing initiatives and efforts on the international stage for the safe return of Ukrainian children unlawfully transferred to Russia

 

I.          Introduction

At the examination of the inter-state judgment Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia at its1545^th meeting
(2-4 December 2025) (DH), the Committee of Ministers (CM) instructed the Secretariat to prepare an overview of the ongoing developments and efforts on the international stage and to explore all possible synergies with the international community to support the establishment of an international and independent mechanism, with which the Russian Federation should cooperate, to secure with due consideration of the children’s best interests, the identification of all children transferred from Ukraine to Russia, and Russian controlled territory before 16 September 2022, the restoration of contact between these children and their surviving family members or legal guardians and the children’s safe reunification with them.[2]

This document presents a mapping of different developments and types of initiatives aimed at securing the identification and return of the children concerned. Given the rapidly evolving nature of the situation, this overview is based on publicly available information available at the time of drafting and may be updated in the light of further developments.

II.         International Organisations

A.    Council of Europe’s support for Ukraine[3]

Secretary General

On 23 February 2026, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe issued a statement to mark the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He expressed the following: “The European Court of Human Rights remains the only international court adjudicating violations of human rights arising from this war. In a landmark judgment last July, it held Russia accountable for widespread violations in Ukraine since 2014. The Court also made clear that Russia is responsible for the unlawful transfer and adoption of Ukrainian children and must cooperate in their safe return. We will use every legal mechanism available to ensure that these children are brought home”.^[4]

Register of Damage[5]

A decision was taken at the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavík in May 2023[6] to set up, under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In April 2024, the Register opened for the submission of claims. Its seat is in The Hague (the Netherlands), with a satellite office in Ukraine. It is established for an initial period of three years.

The Register, launched to act as a record of all eligible claims for compensation for the widespread damage, loss and injury caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, serves as a key mechanism for individuals, businesses, and the State of Ukraine to seek reparation under international law.

In September 2025, the Register opened a claims category for forcible transfer or deportation of children and adults. Category A2.8 specifically deals with claims in relation to forcible transfer of children in Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, including temporarily occupied territories, or deportation outside of Ukraine, in particular to the Russian Federation or third countries, on or after 24 February 2022.[7]

The Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine (CGU)

As a direct result of the Reykjavik Declaration adopted at the summit, the Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine (CGU)[8] was created in 2023. It is a unique multilateral cooperation platform dedicated to enhancing the rights of children affected by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine – those who fled to Council of Europe member States, those who have remained in Ukraine and those who return, including unlawfully deported children. In its work, the CGU identifies and addresses protection gaps and challenges in order to develop practical tools to effectively address the plight of children of Ukraine.

The CGU works on a wide variety of themes, including access to education, understanding and responding to risks of trafficking of children of Ukraine, enhancing effective guardianship systems for children of Ukraine in Council of Europe member States, providing psychological support and trauma-informed care, promoting trauma-informed journalism and addressing the impact of war on children with disabilities. In its current second phase, the CGU is also addressing accountability for atrocities committed against children, with a focus on child-friendly and victim-centred justice and access to remedies. The CGU will also examine the impact of militarisation and indoctrination on the mental health, development and identity of children of Ukraine, as well as technology-facilitated and AI-enabled violence affecting children in conflict, while developing concrete guidance for conflict-related sexual violence against children.

The Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the situation of Children of Ukraine

In February 2025, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir was appointed as the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the situation of children of Ukraine. Her mandate includes fostering international co-operation, raising awareness of the challenges faced by the children of Ukraine and promoting Council of Europe standards, initiatives and activities in support of children of Ukraine. She also ensures internal co-ordination and cooperation with all Council of Europe relevant entities, including the CGU and the Register of Damage.

The Parliamentary Assembly

On 25 January 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted a Resolution on the situation of the children of Ukraine and emphasised the urgent need for member States to support the safe return of the unlawfully deported children and called for international cooperation to trace and repatriate missing children, while also urging the Russian Federation to cease these illegal practices.[9]

B.    United Nations  

General Assembly

On 3 December 2025, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a Resolution specifically addressing the issue of Ukrainian children.[10] It deplored the practice of forcible transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children, the separation of children from their parents or legal guardians, and any subsequent changes to their personal status, including their citizenship, adoption or placement in foster families.

The UNGA expressed support for ongoing efforts of various member States and international organisations aimed at securing the safe and unconditional return of these children in accordance with the best interests of the child and took note of the efforts of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children (see below).

Independent Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine

In March 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council established the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine (“the Commission”) to investigate alleged violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, and related crimes in the context of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine. In previous reports,^[11] the Commission confirmed that a 'wide range of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law' were committed, including the forced transfer and deportations of children. In its judgment, the Court gave significant weight to the objective, factual reporting contained in the Commission’s report and the conference room paper.[12]

In its most recent report[13] and accompanying conference room paper[14] of March 2026, the Commission presented findings based on verified cases concerning the deportation or transfer of children from several regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation or to territories under its control. It reported that it had documented 1,205 cases of deportation or transfer of children and found that 80% of the children had not yet been returned.

The Commission further indicated that contrary to what was alleged by the Russian authorities, these transfers were not temporary. It noted that the children were subsequently placed in families or institutions within the Russian Federation, including through measures affecting their legal status, and that no system had been established to facilitate the return the children. The Commission found that the Russian authorities have committed enforced disappearances of the deported or transferred children, which amount to a crime against humanity and constitute human rights violations. It reiterated that Russian authorities have unlawfully deported and transferred children from Ukraine, amounting to war crimes.

The Commission also made recommendations addressed to the Russian Federation. It recommended, inter alia, that the Russian Federation cease the deportation and unlawful transfers of Ukrainian children; provide reliable and comprehensive information on the whereabouts of the children concerned and immediately cease any measure to change their legal status; to restore and facilitate effective communication with their families; to proactively initiate their safe and unconditional return, in accordance with their best interests and in conformity with international law; to cooperate with the Ukrainian authorities in relation to a DNA registry; and provide unimpeded access to UN entities and other relevant international monitoring and humanitarian organisations.

The Commission recommended the international community to coordinate and reinforce its efforts to impress upon the Russian Federation the urgency to facilitate the return of children who have been deported to the Russian Federation or transferred within occupied areas of Ukraine.

Annual report of the United Nations Secretary General on children and armed conflict, dated June 2025[15]

In his annual report on children and armed conflict, with regard to Ukraine, the Secretary General welcomed the reunification of two children abducted in 2022 by Russian armed forces and Russian authorities located in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. The whereabouts of the remaining children referred to in the previous report (A/78/842, para. 327)^[16] remained unknown, although credible reports suggested that some of these children may have returned to territories under the control of the Government of Ukraine.

The Secretary General also urged all parties to uphold the principle of the best interests of the child, to facilitate family tracing and the reunification of unaccompanied and/or separated children who find themselves across borders or lines of control without their families and/or guardians, including by giving child protection actors access to facilitate reunification. He strongly urged the Russian Federation to cooperate with the United Nations for the return of Ukrainian children and their reunification with their families and/or guardians.

The Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict

On 3 October 2025, Vanessa Frazier was appointed Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. In this capacity, she has engaged with the situation of children affected by the conflict in Ukraine, including issues relating to the transfer and deportation of children. In April 2026, she concluded a five-day mission to Ukraine, where she held exchanges with senior government officials and other stakeholders on strengthening the protection of war-affected children. In her exchanges, she discussed the most pertinent issues impacting children, including ongoing work to prevent and end grave violations, as well as the implementation of the UNGA Resolution on the return of Ukrainian children.[17] Subsequently, the Special Representative also held meetings with the Russian authorities in Moscow and shared with them a list of Ukrainian children that she had received from the Ukrainian authorities, with a request for information on these children’s whereabouts and well-being, and to facilitate reunification. In her meetings with the Russian authorities, the Special Representative particularly emphasised the importance of having an independent mechanism for family tracing and reunification.[18]

C.    Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA)

Since 2023, the OSCE PA has adopted declarations and resolutions condemning the forced abduction and deportation of children to the Russian Federation.[19] The initiatives have called, inter alia, for the establishment of better tracking systems for the deported children to facilitate reunification with their families, the development of a child protection system, and for programs to provide psychological support in Ukraine.

In October 2025, OSCE PA President appointed Carina Ödebrink as Special Envoy on the issue of Russian abductions and deportations of Ukrainian children and in November 2025, the OSCE PA joined the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children (see below for more details). The Special Envoy works closely with international partners, and her tasks include liaising closely with the International Coalition. In June 2025, before her appointment as the Special Envoy, Ms Ödebrink published a report on Russian Abductions and Deportations of Ukrainian Children.[20]

Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Moscow Mechanism

ODIHR has implemented a monitoring initiative (Ukraine Monitoring Initiative) to document and report on alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in line with its mandate. It has produced eight interim reports, the most recent of which was published in December 2025.[21] ODIHR has also conducted extensive research on issues related to the transfer and deportation of civilians, including children, setting out the applicable legal framework in its reports and presenting findings based on open-source material, relevant interviews, and information provided by Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Moscow Mechanism[22] was invoked on five occasions. The expert missions found clear patterns of international humanitarian law violations by the Russian forces in their conduct of hostilities and concluded that international human rights law had been extensively violated in the conflict in Ukraine, including abductions and enforced disappearances. In the inter-State judgment, the European Court relied on the findings of these reports.[23]

D.    European Union (EU)

On 16 February 2023, the European Parliament adopted a Resolution on one year of Russia’s invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine.[24] It reiterated that the continued forced relocation and deportation of Ukrainian children, including those from institutions, to Russia and their forced adoption by Russian families is in breach of Ukrainian and international law; underlined that forcibly transferring children of a group to another group constituted the crime of genocide according to  Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; and called on the international community, in this regard, to support the Ukrainian authorities’ efforts to collect, document and preserve evidence of the human rights violations committed during the Russian war against Ukraine.

In 2025, the EU joined the International Coalition for the Return of the Ukrainian Children (see below). It also approved a sanctions package for more than 100 persons that were involved in the unlawful transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia.[25]

On 11 May 2026, the EU co-hosted a High-Level Meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children in Brussels (see below). On the same day, the EU decided to adopt sanctions against a further 16 individuals and seven entities responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.[26] The decision targeted those responsible for the systematic unlawful deportation, forced transfer, forced assimilation, including indoctrination and militarised education, of Ukrainian minors, as well as their unlawful adoption and removal to the Russian Federation and within temporarily occupied territories.

E.    International Coalition[27]

The International Coalition for the Return of the Ukrainian Children was launched in February 2024. Its mandate is based on the “Bring Kids Back UA” action plan (see below) and it is co-chaired by the Government of Ukraine and the Government of Canada. The Coalition aims to bring Ukrainian children home to their families and communities. The Coalition brings together 46 countries from both the Council of Europe[28] and across the globe[29] as well as three international organisations, including the Council of Europe, the OSCE PA and the EU.

On 5 August 2025, the Coalition members issued a joint statement.[30] They reiterated their unwavering commitment to the protection of children affected by Russia’s illegal, unprovoked, and unjustifiable full-scale military invasion of Ukraine and reaffirmed their shared commitment to the protection of children in armed conflict. The members further reaffirmed that compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law is a binding obligation for all parties to armed conflict, notably in ensuring the protection of children, safeguarding their identity and dignity, and enabling conditions for their safe and voluntary return, in accordance with international norms and principles.

On 11 May 2026, a High-Level Meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was held in Brussels to reaffirm shared commitment to stepping up actions for securing the return of every Ukrainian child forcibly transferred or unlawfully deported by Russia, and to ensuring full accountability for these crimes committed by Russia. During the meeting, participants agreed on a set of measures including : strengthening tracing, verification and monitoring mechanisms; supporting Ukrainian return efforts; strengthening engagement at the UN, promoting existing mediation mechanisms, and supporting formal and informal channels for return; supporting return, protection and reintegration; ensuring accountability; and stepping up coordinated sanctions and targeted listings against those responsible for, or complicit in, or involved in the unlawful deportation, forcible transfer, "re-education" and militarisation of Ukrainian children.[31] 

Norway together with Canada and Ukraine, who are co-chairs of the International Coalition, will co-host a Ministerial Conference “Pathways to Peace: Second International Conference on Returning Ukrainian Children, Detained Civilians and Prisoners of War” in Toronto on 28 and 29 September 2026.

F.    International Criminal Court (ICC)

In March 2022, 39 states parties to the Rome Statute, including all EU Member States, made a referral to the ICC, asking its Prosecutor to investigate the situation in Ukraine. On 17 March 2023 a pre-trial chamber of the ICC issued arrest warrants for President Putin, and Maria Lvova Belova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation. It considered that there were reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bore responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation, under the Rome Statute.[32]

III.        Different initiatives undertaken by States

A.    Mediating States

A number of States have undertaken individual diplomatic or legal initiatives to mediate the return of unlawfully transferred Ukrainian children, relying on diplomatic channels and intermediary engagement.

Member States

Austria: During an event, organised within the margins of the 80^th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 23 September 2025, the Federal Chancellor of the Austrian Federation stated that Austria was reinforcing mediation efforts to return children to Ukraine and their families.

Türkiye: At the second round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul in June 2025, the Ukrainian delegation handed over an initial list of 339 children, whose names were verified as being forcefully deported or otherwise taken from Ukrainian territory.

Observer States

The Holy See: The Holy See has raised humanitarian concerns linked to the impact of the war on children. The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations stated that the Holy See continues its efforts including through Cardinal Matteo Zuppi (Special Envoy of the Holy Father for humanitarian issues in Ukraine) to ensure that Ukrainian children return to their families - including “through the efforts of the Special envoy of the Holy Father for humanitarian issues in Ukraine”, and to ensure the release of prisoners of war.[33] They are committed to promoting the safe return of children who have been separated from their families as part of the wider process of peace and reconciliation.

The United States: The United States has engaged bilaterally and publicly at political level, including through diplomatic pressure and support for accountability and return-oriented efforts.[34] According to White House press releases, through the advocacy of the First Lady with the Russian authorities, seven children in April 2026, 15 children in February 2026, and seven children in December 2025 have been reunited with their families.[35]

Non-member States

Qatar: Qatar has undertaken humanitarian mediation efforts aimed at facilitating the return of Ukrainian children. Through more than 14 humanitarian operations conducted in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross, Qatar has secured the return of 87 Ukrainian children. Qatar has also expressed its readiness to share its experience with others with a view to ensuring sustained practical follow up.[36]

South Africa: During the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of the Peace Formula, held in Montreal in 2024, South Africa expressed its readiness to become a mediator in the return of Ukrainian children unlawfully transferred by Russia.[37]

B.    States providing resources for the search and rescue of abducted children

Member States

Lithuania:Lithuania has made an additional 10 million Euros contribution to the EU’s Ukraine Facility to help tackle Russia's forced deportation of Ukrainian children.^[38]

The Netherlands: The Netherlands works in close cooperation with Ukraine to identify the abducted children and to return them to Ukraine. As part of these efforts, the Netherlands is supplying DNA kits, which will help to reunite abducted children with their families.[39]

Norway: Norway provides financial support to different entities working on the return and reintegration of abducted children, in particular through UNICEF to the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice’s Register of Information on Children Deported or Forcibly Displaced.

Poland:Poland provides digital support in monitoring the identification of deported children and the entities responsible for abducting them; developing tools for the reporting of information about deported children; and assistance with the gathering of DNA and biometric data of the abducted children.^[40]

The United Kingdom: The United Kingdom has adopted targeted sanctions against individuals and entities involved in the deportation, transfer and indoctrination of Ukrainian children, under its domestic Russia sanctions regime.[41]

Observer State

Canada: Canada is the co-chair of the International Coalition for the Return of the Ukrainian children (see above). Canada has also invested millions of dollars in HALA AI technology to trace children. This technology provides AI tools that process vast amounts of unstructured data (text, images, and video) in Russian and Ukrainian to facilitate the identification, contact, and return of deported children.[42] Canada has also adopted targeted sanctions against individuals and entities involved in the deportation, transfer and indoctrination of Ukrainian children.[43]

IV.        Ukrainian authorities and civil society

A.    Bring Kids Back Ukraine[44]

Bring Kids Back UA is an initiative, officially launched on 31 May 2023, by the President of Ukraine that unites government institutions, non-governmental organisations, and international partners to trace, return, and reintegrate Ukrainian children deported or forcibly transferred by the Russian Federation.

Coordinated by the Office of the President of Ukraine, it operates across five key streams of work: (1) tracing of children and data verification; (2) implementation of return pathways; (3) reintegration and rehabilitation upon return; (4) accountability; and (5) strategic communications and international advocacy.

As of 23 April 2026, Bring Kids Back UA reported that 2,117 Ukrainian children and young adults have been returned and provided with comprehensive support. It also coordinates the functioning of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.

B.    Ministry of Justice

In 2024 based on Resolution No. 1240, the Ministry of Justice established the Register of Information (“Register of Information”) on Children deported or forcibly displaced, and the Interagency Commission for Verification of Information on Children Deported or Forcibly Displaced in Connection with the Armed Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine (“the Interagency Commission).

The Register of Information is a tool for collecting, verifying, and managing data on these children to ensure accountability and facilitate their eventual return. It receives information from the National Information Bureau, state authorities, local authorities, public organisations.

The Interagency Commission, headed by the Deputy Minister of Justice for European Integration, plays a pivotal role in processing and verifying information on deported or forcibly transferred children. It is made up of a wide variety of actors, including the Representative of the President on Children’s rights and child rehabilitation, representatives of the office of the Commissioner for Human Rights and the Commissioner for Human Rights, and representatives of key agencies, intelligence services, and Ministries.

As of 22 April2026, the Interagency Commission has held 12 meetings and successfully reviewed 20 570 cases of deportation or forced displacement. The majority of these cases concern orphans and children deprived of parental care. In order to ensure that all children who have been victims of forced displacement or deportation are taken into account, the Interagency Commission also considers cases of children who were 18 years of age at the time of entry into the Register but for whom there is information about their deportation or forced displacement before reaching the age of majority. Among these verified cases are also children who have already returned to Ukraine or left for third countries.[45]

C.    Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights

The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent institution responsible for overseeing the observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Within the scope of his mandate, the Commissioner addresses issues relating to the protection of children affected by the armed conflict. The Office of the Commissioner conducts monitoring activities, including through open-source information, to identify potential violations of children’s rights in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. In this context, it has documented, inter alia, cases of forced displacement of children within these territories, their deportation to the Russian Federation, and the imposition of Russian educational standards. It also reports on issues related to the militarisation and indoctrination of children.

In the absence of direct diplomatic relations, efforts to facilitate the return of children are pursued through the mediation of third states. The Commissioner engages with the international community on these issues and has participated in relevant diplomatic exchanges.

The Commissioner is also involved in the implementation of the national framework established by Resolution No. 551 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (14 May 2024, as amended), which sets out procedures for the identification, return, support and reintegration of children who have been deported or forcibly displaced. Within this framework, the Commissioner and his representatives contribute to measures aimed at identifying and returning children, including through the examination of individual complaints.[46]

D.    Civil society and non-governmental initiatives

It is reported that many civil society and other private actors are also involved in efforts to trace and return the children unlawfully transferred. Some examples of the most visible actors are set out below.

Save Ukraine[47]

Save Ukraine is a Ukrainian non-governmental organisation engaged in efforts to locate, return and support children transferred from temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. It operates within the framework of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative and cooperates with a range of national authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Policy, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the Prosecutor General, as well as regional and local bodies.

The organisation carries out activities aimed at identifying and facilitating the return of children, including through the organisation of return operations and the provision of transport and logistical support. It also provides assistance for the rehabilitation and reintegration of returned children, including psychosocial support.

Save Ukraine relies on various sources to identify children, including direct communication with families and children in occupied territories, information obtained through previously returned children, and co-operation with Ukrainian authorities. In this context, it operates, inter alia, a 24/7 hotline to receive information from families and other sources.

Since the full-scale invasion, it has facilitated the return of more than 1,270 children from temporarily occupied territories and the Russian Federation, including 235 orphans.[48]

Ukrainian Child Rights Network[49]

The Guardians of Hope project, which was launched by the Ukrainian Child Rights Network is aimed at strengthening coordination between government agencies, international partners, and civil society for the return of Ukrainian children who have been deported. It aims to create tools to secure a database of children’s profiles; a chatbot for families’ requests; and protocols of interaction between all parties involved. The project is part of national and international efforts, including support for the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, and promotes cooperation between government agencies, international organisations, and the civil sector. The Guardians of Hope project is implemented with the support of the Partnership for a Strong Ukraine Program, funded by the Governments of the United Kingdom, Estonia, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

OSINT for Ukraine[50]

OSINT for Ukraine is engaged in initiatives specifically relevant to children, including partnerships to investigate cases of unlawfully transferred Ukrainian children and to support efforts aimed at identifying victims and facilitating their return. Through its investigative work and co-operation with accountability mechanisms, the Organisation contributes to documenting grave violations affecting children and strengthening evidence-based responses to such crimes.