Statement by the Delegation of Ukraine

Third Committee of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly

during the Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education

24 October 2025

Chair,

We thank the Special Rapporteur for highlighting in her report the devastating violations of the right to education happening during the armed conflicts. These findings resonate deeply with Ukraine today.

Just two days ago, Russian drones struck a kindergarten in the city of Kharkiv. On the same day, another Russian attack killed a six-month-old baby, her mother, and their 12-year-old cousin in the Kyiv region. There can be no justification for targeting children. These brutal attacks once again underline that safety must be recognized as a fundamental and inseparable element of the right to education.

This right is under a systematic attack in Ukraine every day, as the Russian Federation continues its war of aggression. Since February 2022, almost 4,000 educational institutions have been damaged, 387 destroyed, and 14 percent of Ukraine’s educational infrastructure has been affected.

Due to Russia’s war, one million Ukrainian school-age children remain in Russian-occupied territories. Despite this, more than 62,400 children continue to study remotely in Ukrainian secondary schools and educational institutions. Russian occupying authorities punish distance learning, use coercion and detention to pressure teachers, and subject children to forced re-education, russification, and military training.

We urge the international community to join efforts to bring Ukrainian children home and to ensure accountability.

Finally, Madam Special Rapporteur, we ask: what specific measures in your opinion can be taken to ensure accountability for attacks on education and to safeguard children’s rights during armed conflicts? 

Thank you.