EuroWARCHILD at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

On 19 June 2024, EuroWARCHILD’s Inger Skjelsbæk and Lina Stotz were invited to present at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna at a Breakfast Seminar on children born of war.

The seminar was organised by the Delegations of Norway and Albania to the OSCE, with support of the Group of Friends on Children in Armed Conflict. Following introductions by Ambassador Ambassador Gjermeni of Albania and Ambassador Karlsen of Norway, the plight of children born of war as documented in research until now and the endeavours of the EuroWARCHILD project were introduced by Inger Skjelsbæk. Mariia Zheltukha, expert at the Analytical Center JurFem, Ukraine, discussed this group of children and conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine in light of the ongoing war of aggression. Lina Stotz elaborated on the legal needs and recognition of this group and the importance of international engagement on the topic. Elmaja Bavcic of the OSCE Secretariat discussed potential points of entry in the OSCE framework for integrating children born of war in the organisation’s activities and mandate, which thus far had not routinely been integrated into the organisation’s work.

Following these inputs, the floor was opened for questions. The event was attended by about 60 to 70 staff members of the OSCE, military staff of member states and ambassadors.