Protecting Children: Guarantees of a Safe Future - Fourth First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit took place in Kyiv
100% of Ukrainian children surveyed felt the impact of the war, with 99% of them suffering directly and only 1% calling it an indirect impact. This terrible reality was demonstrated by the results of the international study “Protection of Childhood: Security Dimensions for Children and Adolescents.”
The purpose of the study was to determine the level of key threats to the well-being of children in the world. It involved parents and children from 15 countries, including 300 children and 300 adults from Ukraine. The study was conducted by Catalyse Research, an international research and consulting company, together with BRAND UKRAINE, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), at the request of the Global Platform of the First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit.
“The military operations are currently ongoing in many regions of the world. And the truth is that when children start dying or disappearing somewhere, it is a challenge to the entire world, the entire world order, all conventions, agreements, human rights. Because it means that these agreements, conventions and human rights exist only on paper. And we see that papers do not protect against missiles, unlike air defense. Each country has its own experience in protecting children. For example, Estonia is strong in cybersecurity, Finland is known for its inclusive school environment, and Japan is a leader in child health. But no country can meet all the challenges at once. That is why our unity and joint action is important.”
Children are the future of the entire planet. That is why this year’s summit, attended by Minister of Health Viktor Liashko, is dedicated to children and youth, their safety, health, and well-being. It is called “Protecting Children: Guarantees of a Safe Future” because threats to childhood — military, domestic (at school or in the family), virtual, and environmental — have no borders. Real security for children can only be ensured by the whole world.
“As a mother, I’m very sorry that my son can distinguish enemy missiles by sound and can calculate their speed as if it were a school task. And millions of boys and girls in our country can do the same. It’s sad that they are living their only childhood at constant risk at a time when the country is struggling to survive. As a mother and first lady, I would like to guarantee a safe future for every child in the world. But this can only be done together, with the participation of all conscious countries. This is the world’s duty to children.”
Therefore, during this year’s summit, the first ladies and gentlemen of different countries, together with leading international and Ukrainian experts, celebrities and distinguished guests, explored and discussed the threats and challenges faced by children, comfortable conditions for raising the youngest generation and state mechanisms for its protection.
The participants of the event considered the problem of children protection in key dimensions:
1. “Safety of children in time of war”. Unfortunately, Ukraine is currently the largest expert on this topic. But many countries have gone through or are currently going through similar experiences. Everyone has different experiences, so it is worth sharing them and looking for common solutions and guarantees.
2. “Safety of children in the family”. It would seem that this is the most natural space for a child, but unfortunately, violence and powerlessness can also be found there.
3. “Safety of children at school”. It is not only about physical safety, but also about mental safety, about safety from bullying. It is about the challenges that the war has brought to Ukraine: from distance learning to building bomb shelters for schools and kindergartens.
4. “Safety of children in cyberspace”. Today’s children need to know not only how to respond to cyberbullying, but also how to distinguish the truth from disinformation.
5. “Safe environment for children”. After all, the environment is what we leave to our children as a legacy. There is also a war aspect here, because Ukrainian ecology is being destroyed by russian weapons.
The topics of this year’s event were suggested by the previous summit. It explored the mental health of the world by conducting a survey in 11 countries. Its results showed that teenagers, no matter where they live, experience stress several points more acutely than adults! In addition, the surveyed teenagers ranked mental health first among the factors that are important to them!
So, we can consider it proven: our children are more sensitive than adults. They are the sincere barometer that accurately senses the troubles in their countries and the world - from wars and violence to injustice and bullying. That is why this summit is exclusively for them and about them and for their safety - from war, from violence in the family and school, mental, digital and environmental threats.
To better understand children and help them with not only their physical health, but also their mental health, Ukrainian pediatricians have the opportunity to receive training in mental health. For example, more than 7,000 pediatricians working in primary care have already completed the course “Management of Common Mental Disorders in Primary Care Using mhGAP.”
For reference: mhGAP (Mental Health Gap Action Programme) is a global flagship program of the WHO aimed at increasing access to mental health services by engaging non-specialized mental health workers (e.g., family doctors, general practitioners, and pediatricians) in providing care to people with mental disorders. The mhGAP guidelines and its version for humanitarian emergencies provide healthcare workers who are not mental health professionals with protocols for the assessment and management of common mental disorders such as depression, acute stress response, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal behavior, substance use disorders, and other mental health disorders.