Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset has appointed Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir (Iceland) as his Special Envoy on the situation of children of Ukraine.
That’s according to a statement posted on the Council of Europe’s official website, Ukrinform reports.
“She will raise awareness of the challenges faced by the children of Ukraine and of the Council of Europe’s standards and initiatives to support them, foster international co-operation and ensure internal co-ordination, including with the Register of Damage caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and the Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine,” the statement reads.
The appointment of such a special envoy was one of Berset’s campaign promises, as he has consistently emphasized the importance of this issue for the Council of Europe.
Until December 2024, Gylfadottir occupied several ministerial posts in the Government of Iceland and notably served as Minister for Foreign Affairs during the Icelandic Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in 2023.
“I look forward to supporting the important work of the Secretary General on this issue and will do my utmost to contribute to securing and protecting the rights of children of Ukraine and to serving the wider cause of its people. We have a collective duty to stand by those children who were hit the hardest by Russia’s full-scale invasion,” Gylfadottir said.
The Special Envoy will report to the Secretary General and provide regular information to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the activities in support of children of Ukraine, including on the implementation of the Reykjavík Declaration.
Photo: Council of Europe
Source: CoE secretary general appoints special envoy on situation of Ukrainian children
