Ukraine–France: dialogue on child protection

On 27 November 2025, a high-level meeting was held between Mykola Onishchuk, Rector of the National School of Judges of Ukraine, and Isabelle Rome, the French Human Rights Commissioner.

The discussion was centred on the protection of children's rights, an issue that has become particularly acute and important in the context of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. The main purpose of the meeting was to identify the current needs of the National School of Judges of Ukraine in this area.
 

Mykola Onishchuk emphasised that receiving expert support from French colleagues in developing training courses and materials on various aspects of criminal and civil legal relations in the context of international humanitarian law would meet the urgent goals of judicial education.

For her part, Isabelle Rome noted that the Ukrainian justice system continues to function uninterruptedly even in wartime, which is crucial for the stability of democracy. She also reported that in France there is a special category of judges who not only hear cases involving crimes against children (juvenile judges), but also perform preventive functions with regard to children at risk. Such judges have the power, in particular, to appoint a specialised social worker to accompany the child and monitor the situation. In Ukraine, unlike in France, there is no such category of judges yet, which makes it difficult to ensure the proper protection of children's rights.

Among other things, the French Human Rights Commissioner proposed launching a series of video conferences for judges, together with prosecutors, lawyers and representatives of civil society organisations, with the involvement of French experts in the field of child rights protection.

The meeting was held in a constructive dialogue and was an important step in the development of partnership relations in the field of judicial education and improving the effectiveness of child rights protection in Ukraine.

The French Embassy in Ukraine was represented at the meeting by Vincent Gouyard, First Secretary of the Embassy. From the National School of Judges of Ukraine – Judge of the Soborny District Court of Dnipro, lecturer-trainer at the National School of Judges of Ukraine Maksym Khodakivskyi and Chief Research Officer of the International Cooperation Department Oksana Pryadka.