The fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen took place in Kyiv on September 12. Olena Zelenska opened the event, the main topic of which was the safety of children, and delivered a powerful speech.
Points of attention
- The Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv centered around the crucial theme of protecting children's rights and ensuring a safe future, with a joint declaration being signed to address key priorities in child safety.
- Olena Zelenska's impactful speech highlighted the urgent need for collective efforts on national and international levels to guarantee the safety and well-being of all children.
- The Summit addressed the multi-dimensional aspects of child protection including safety during war, in families, at school, in cyberspace, and in safe environmental settings, emphasizing the importance of holistic approaches to safeguarding children.
- Participants discussed challenges such as child indoctrination, recruitment, parental support programs, education access, online safety, and environmental threats, aiming to find solutions to ensure a better future for all children worldwide.
- The Summit concluded with a joint declaration outlining key initiatives to protect children's rights, provide necessary assistance, and prioritize policies for children's well-being at both national and international levels.
The Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen was held in Kyiv
Olena Zelenska's inspiring speech at the opening of the event was dedicated to children's safety.
The first lady of Ukraine introduced herself as "wife of the president and mother of two children." She noted that her family is like most families in the world. But in Ukraine, life is interrupted by air strikes and missile launches.
As a mother, I am very sorry that my son can distinguish the sound of a rocket from the sound of a drone, just like millions of Ukrainian boys and girls. Millions of Ukrainian boys and girls already perceive war as their reality. But not what they make a movie about, unfortunately,
Olena Zelenska
First Lady of Ukraine
The first lady added that now children do not plan their future and avoid talking about plans. But even when they start talking about it, they start with the phrase: "after the war ends."
Our children have one childhood and one youth, and they should have been filled with completely different emotions than anxiety. As a mother, I would like to guarantee a safe future for our children and all the children of the world in every country. But so far, no mother, first lady, and no country has managed to do this on their own. This is possible only together.
The wife of the president emphasized that adults owe safety to children, because it was they who brought them into this world. She urged to try to understand how to stop the threat and guarantee a peaceful life for children.
Zelenska thanked all friends who find the courage and solidarity to come to Ukraine in person against the background of constant Russian attacks.
And I am glad that our circle of like-minded people is growing. This year, we are pleased to welcome first ladies from Latin America to the summit for the first time: Mrs. Rossana Briseño from Belize 🇧🇿, an active fighter for women's rights; Ms. Lucrecia Peinado from Guatemala 🇬🇹, a specialist in the field of health, including mental health. We are glad that the wife of the newly elected President of Finland 🇫🇮, an experienced lawyer Ms. Suzanne Innes-Stubb, has joined us.
The event was also attended by the first ladies of Lithuania — Diana Nausedienje, Estonia — Sirje Karis, Serbia — Tamara Vučić, the first gentlemen — Bo Tenberg (Denmark), Aleš Musar (Slovenia).
For each summit, we choose a topic that is relevant both for Ukraine and the world. And this year's theme hurts us all — "Protection of children: guarantees of a safe future". Because threats to childhood — military, domestic (at school or family), virtual, environmental — have no borders. Our belief is that children can be truly safe only with the whole world.
What is known about the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen
The event, which Olena Zelenska organizes every year, began this year on September 12 in Kyiv. The international event, which is the fourth in a row, in 2024 raised the topic of children's safety. The first panel discussed the lives of children during the war.
Spouses of state leaders and experts from different parts of the world, as well as Ukrainian specialists, gathered at the Summit. Among the stars, actor Michael Douglas and his son came to the event.
Participants consider the topic of child protection in five dimensions:
safety of children during war;
safety of children in the family;
safety of children at school;
safety of children in cyberspace;
safe environment for children.
Children all over the world suffer as a result of war. Today, this is especially relevant for Ukraine. The childhood of Ukrainian children is destroyed by Russian shelling, occupation, propaganda and deportation. The participants of the dimension "Safety of children during war" drew attention to the scale of the tragedy and tried to find solutions that would allow children to live safely and happily. Guests and experts also discussed the issue of child indoctrination, recruitment and legal protection mechanisms.
Parenting is the main aspect of child safety. It is through such a prism that the participants of the dimension "Safety of children in the family" looked at the problem. In particular, they discussed the challenges of parenthood, state family support programs, and care for children's mental health using the example of real families. The first ladies and gentlemen discussed the cases of their countries on the development of parenthood and families.
Education is the indisputable right of every child. The coronavirus pandemic, military conflicts and natural disasters have limited the access of children around the world to education and reduced its quality. The "Safety of children at school" dimension is dedicated to the discussion of physical safety, psychological comfort, as well as the education of leadership skills in children.
Because of their age, children may be at particular risk in the online space. Lack of privacy, various types of fraud, fake information and falsification of data are just some of the dangers that children face online. During the "Safety of children in cyberspace" dimension, experts discussed the protection of children in the digital world, shared case studies of countries and companies, and also explored the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence for children.
Modern environmental challenges are an integral part of the conversation about children's safety. Climate change, environmental pollution, ecocide are factors that negatively affect the well-being and harmonious development of children. As part of the "Safe environment for children" dimension, the participants of the summit in an interactive format got acquainted with the opinions of teenagers from the communities, current environmental challenges, environmental problems of today and learned how art and environmental protection combine.
Also, within the framework of the fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, the results of an international sociological study devoted to the topic of childhood protection, in which respondents from 15 countries of the world took part, were presented. The study was conducted by Catalyse Research with the support of UNICEF and BRAND UKRAINE. Its purpose is to determine the level of key threats to the well-being of children in the world.
What was the result of the Summit
The result of the Fourth Summit of Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv was a joint declaration on the protection of children's rights.
This was announced by the initiator of the event, the President's wife Olena Zelenska.
The result of today's summit is a joint declaration. This declaration agrees on key priorities for the future — protecting children's rights and guaranteeing a safe future, ensuring the safety of children in the family, at school, in cyberspace and in armed conflicts.
She noted that the document refers to the need to focus on the implementation of projects in such areas as finding and returning children, medical assistance to children and their rehabilitation, providing children with comprehensive psychological and social assistance, evacuating minors from war zones, ensuring the right of every child to growth in the family.
In today's world, there is no threat that does not affect everyone. If children die somewhere, if they are kidnapped or tortured somewhere, this is a challenge to the entire legal system of child protection, all principles, all numerous agreements. Unfortunately, many of these international arrangements, well-intentioned constructs, have proven unprepared to respond appropriately to real-life tragedies. However, Ukraine has experience in responding. It is dramatic, painful, but it exists and allows to develop effective mechanisms that can be used by any country in the world.
Olena Zelenska
First Lady of Ukraine
In her opinion, the joint declaration will become one of such documents.
This is an important joint agreement on the prioritization of children's policy at all levels — both at the national level and in joining efforts in the international arena.
