Denys Maslov met with UNICEF Representative in Ukraine, Ann-Claire Dufay

On August 11, 2026, Minister of Justice of Ukraine Denys Maslov held a working meeting with the Head of UNICEF Representation in Ukraine, Ms. Ann-Claire Dufay.

The parties discussed the further development of child-friendly justice, the sustainability of already implemented child protection mechanisms, the return of deported or forcibly displaced Ukrainian children, as well as new areas of cooperation between the Ministry of Justice and UNICEF.

Denys Maslov emphasized that the protection of children’s rights and the development of juvenile justice remain among the Ministry’s priorities and are an important component of Ukraine’s European integration commitments. According to him, cooperation with international partners should be focused primarily on practical results for every child and on the sustainability of mechanisms that have already proven effective.

“Today Ukrainian children are going through severe trials as a result of russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. Our task is to ensure their access to fair justice and the necessary legal and psychological support. Despite all challenges, Ukraine continues to build a child-friendly justice system, and we count on further systemic partnership with UNICEF in this area,” the Minister noted.

Ukraine already has systemic achievements in this field — in 2025, the National Strategy for the Protection of Children’s Rights in the Sphere of Justice until 2028 was approved. The Ministry of Justice has also prepared a draft law providing, in particular, for individual assessment of juvenile victims, mandatory audiovisual recording of interrogations, psychologist participation, mechanisms for involving lawyers, and mechanisms for removing minors from criminal proceedings.

Currently, 17 child protection centers operate in Ukraine under the Barnahus model, through which more than 3,600 children who suffered or witnessed serious crimes have already passed. The main idea of the model is that the child does not have to visit different institutions: specialists coordinate their work around the child in one friendly space.

Since October 2023, psychologists have participated in more than 30,000 procedural actions involving children. Within the Juvenile Restorative Justice Program, 244 agreements have been concluded as a result of mediation. In addition, since December 1, 2024, about 9,000 decisions have been made to provide children with free secondary legal aid.

The Minister also stressed the importance of a clear distinction between aggressor and victim and called on UNICEF to provide an unequivocal public assessment of russia’s actions, which result in the deaths of children.

Special attention during the meeting was paid to the protection of children deported or forcibly displaced due to russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.

The return of every Ukrainian child begins with identification and reliable information about their fate. russia does not provide Ukraine with information about deported or forcibly displaced children. Therefore, documentation, verification, and information exchange are critically important for establishing the whereabouts of children and ensuring their return.

The Ministry of Justice maintains the Register of Information on Children Deported or Forcibly Displaced due to russia’s Armed Aggression against Ukraine and provides organizational support for the work of the Interagency Commission on Verification of Relevant Information.

To date, 20,610 cases of deportation or forced displacement of Ukrainian children have been verified. This figure is not final, as information continues to be received, and each case requires separate verification.

In this context, the Ministry of Justice counts on further technical support for the Register and information exchange on children, while emphasizing the need to strengthen international efforts to establish their whereabouts and return them to Ukraine.

Following the meeting, the parties confirmed their readiness to deepen strategic partnership and focus further cooperation on solutions that will ensure concrete and long-term results for Ukrainian children.