OSCE to launch Moscow Mechanism to investigate Russia’s militarization of Ukrainian children
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced this on X, according to Ukrinform.
“I welcome the invocation of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism by 41 participating State to document Russia’s indoctrination and militarization of Ukrainian children,” the minister said.
He stressed that Russia is not only abducting Ukrainian children, but is also attempting to erase their identity and turn them against their own homeland.
Sybiha recalled that on May 11, a high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was held in Brussels to develop new practical steps for returning children abducted by Russia and ensuring justice for crimes committed against them.
“Ukraine is grateful to all OSCE participating States standing on the side of children, justice, and humanity... Today, the OSCE made another important contribution to holding Russian war criminals accountable,” the head of Ukrainian diplomacy emphasized.
The Moscow Mechanism is a procedure provided under Moscow Document of the OSCE Human Dimension Conference, adopted in Moscow in 1991.
In particular, the mechanism allows a group of ten or more OSCE participating states to establish a mission of independent experts to examine especially serious threats to the fulfillment of human rights commitments in one of the participating countries. In coordination with the OSCE’s permanent human dimension body – the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights – such a mission is tasked with establishing the relevant facts, preparing a report, and potentially providing recommendations on possible solutions.
Read also: Von der Leyen: Return of Ukrainian children must be part of peace dealAs reported by Ukrinform, on May 11, the European Union imposed sanctions on 23 individuals and entities over the forced unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry