European Committee of the Regions and UNICEF join forces to support inclusion of children from Ukraine
On 24 May, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and UNICEF signed an agreement to support regional and local administrations in the European Union in their work on child protection, with a focus on refugee children from Ukraine.
More specifically, the agreement aims to facilitate knowledge sharing between the CoR, UNICEF and local and regional authorities on how to best design, coordinate and successfully implement programmes for refugee children from Ukraine, with a look at their long-term integration into European cities and regions.
Vasco Alves Cordeiro, President of the European Committee of the Regions, said that UNICEF’s technical expertise will be crucial to guarantee that local and regional authorities apply the right standards for children’s accommodation, integration and education.
“Especially remote regions and small towns, who are welcoming displaced children but don’t have much experience or close connections to international child care experts, will benefit from the coming exchanges. Local and regional authorities bear a huge responsibility and are showing tremendous solidarity when they welcome displaced children,” said Vasco Alves Cordeiro.
According to CoR, more than 8.2 million people – the majority of whom are women and children – have fled the war against Ukraine into neighbouring countries, with many continuing their journey onwards to other destinations.
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