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The Emile Foundation, an independent The Hague-based non-governmental organisation dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and reunification of Ukrainian children forcibly deported by Russia, condemned the lack of focus by peace negotiators concerning Ukrainian children held captive by Russia.

“Ukrainian children stolen by Russia must be returned,” said Mariam Lambert, Co-Founder of the Emile Foundation. “The return of these innocent children is a matter of moral urgency and legal justification.”

The Foundation does acknowledge that certain reported elements under consideration refer to the return of all abducted Ukrainian children and civilian detainees. However, without enforceable mechanisms, including an independent international monitoring body, real-time family-tracing protocols, and mandatory trauma-informed reintegration compliant with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, this provision remains ineffective and risks becoming another unfulfilled promise.

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“There is not a word about the fate of people under occupation in this plan. The paragraph on the humanitarian committee contains a mention of […] the return of civilian hostages, including children, which is not formulated as an imperative requirement," warns Oleksandra Matviichuk, Emile Foundation Goodwill Ambassador and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

"The plan does not provide for any negative consequences for aggression, but instead provides amnesty for war crimes committed by Russia.”

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