Check against delivery

34^st session of the UN Human Rights Council

Agenda item 3

Clustered ID with SRSGs on violence against children and children in armed conflict

Intervention by Permanent Representative of Ukraine

Ambassador Yurii Klymenko

March 7, 2017

Mr. President,

Since the beginning of the conflict in eastern Ukraine masterminded by Russia 68 children had been killed and 186 - wounded. 1 in 5 schools has been damaged or destroyed. About 40 children facilities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine are used for military purposes by the Russia-backed illegal armed groups.

The situation is particularly grave for approximately 200,000 children living along the ‘contact line’, where fighting is most severe and where 19,000 children face constant danger from landmines and other unexploded ordinance, 12,000 children live in communities shelled at least once a month.

So-called authorities of self-proclaimed ‘Donetsk people`s republic` deprive children of their liberty in Donetsk city without contact with their families.

Some of the children were transferred from Donbas to Russia and their fate or whereabouts are uncertain.

There are worrying reports regarding establishment by illegal armed groups of camps, where children are trained to handle weapons and being used for intelligence gathering.

Children as young as 15 years old were being recruited to armed youth groups and taking part in active combat as full-fledged members of combined Russian-backed militant forces, including as youth reconnaissance and sabotage groups operating in the government-controlled territory.

It all amounts to recruitment of children, which is a grave violation of IHL.

Special Representatives, we believe that situation with children suffering in the conflict in and around Ukraine needs to be further brought to the world attention in order to address the vicious cycle of conflict and violence and put an end to impunity for the grave crimes that take place in Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression against our country, against the Ukrainian children.

Thank you.