Title: Condemning the illegal abduction of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution states that the House of Representatives holds the Russian government responsible for the illegal kidnapping of children from Ukraine and condemns these actions. The resolution also (1) declares that illegal adoptions are contrary to the Genocide Convention (the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide); (2) claims that Russia is attempting to wipe out a generation of Ukrainian children; and (3) asserts that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has increased the risks of children being exposed to human trafficking, exploitation, child labor, gender-based violence, hunger, injury, trauma, deprivation of education and shelter, and death.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1526 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1526

   Condemning the illegal abduction of children from Ukraine to the 
                          Russian Federation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 15, 2022

Mr. Levin of Michigan (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Slotkin, Mrs. 
Spartz, Ms. Wild, and Mrs. Wagner) submitted the following resolution; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Condemning the illegal abduction of children from Ukraine to the 
                          Russian Federation.

Whereas, on January 12, 1951, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of 
        the Crime of Genocide (commonly known as the ``Genocide Convention''), 
        of which the Russian Federation is a signatory, came into effect;
Whereas, on February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation renewed their illegal and 
        unprovoked large-scale invasion of Ukraine;
Whereas, on March 9, 2022, Russian Forces attacked a maternity hospital in 
        Mariupol, Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of 3 individuals and injuries 
        to 17 other individuals;
Whereas, on March 22, 2022, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry announced that the 
        Russian military had forcefully and illegally kidnapped 2,389 Ukrainian 
        children from temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine;
Whereas, on June 2, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that 
        200,000 children are among the Ukrainians who have been forcefully 
        resettled in Russia;
Whereas forcibly transferring children of one group to another group is a 
        violation of Article II(e) of the Genocide Convention;
Whereas, Maria Lvova-Belova, Children's Rights Commissioner for the President of 
        Russia, admitted to kidnapping Ukrainian children and facilitating 
        forced adoptions to Russian families;
Whereas Ukrainian authorities have stated that a number of the kidnapped 
        Ukrainian children have families who remain in Ukraine, but have been 
        separated due to the renewed Russian invasion;
Whereas, on June 16, 2022, Russian authorities announced that children born in 
        occupied Ukrainian territories after the February 24, 2022, invasion 
        will be deemed Russian citizens;
Whereas, on June 22, 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High 
        Commissioner has verified at that at least 320 children have been killed 
        since Russia's renewed invasion began;
Whereas, on July 11, 2022, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres 
        ordered an investigation into the deaths and injuries of Ukrainian 
        children; and
Whereas, on July 13, 2022, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken issued a 
        statement calling upon Russia to ``immediately halt its systemic 
        filtration operations in Ukraine'', which have caused the disappearance, 
        detention, or forcible deportation of between 900,000 and 1,600,000 
        Ukrainians (approximately 260,000 of whom are children): Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) holds the Government of the Russian Federation, under 
        the leadership of Vladimir Putin, responsible for the wrongful 
        and illegal kidnapping of children from Ukraine and officially 
        condemns these actions in the strongest terms;
            (2) declares that the facilitation of illegal adoptions is 
        contrary to Russia's obligations under the Genocide Convention 
        and amounts to genocide;
            (3) claims that the Russian Federation is attempting to 
        wipe out a generation of Ukrainian children, thereby crippling 
        Ukraine's ability to nurture the next generation of Ukrainian 
        citizens and leaders and to rebuild their country after 
        Russia's unprovoked war, with the purpose of demolishing 
        Ukraine's unique language, culture, history, and identity; and
            (4) asserts that the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian 
        Federation has significantly increased the risks of children 
        being exposed to human trafficking and exploitation, child 
        labor, gender-based violence, hunger, injury, trauma, 
        deprivation of education and shelter, and death.
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