Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjord Gylfadóttir (Iceland) has been appointed Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the situation of children of Ukraine. Alain Berset’s decision stems from his “resolve to ensure the strongest possible protection of Ukrainian children — both in Ukraine and across Council of Europe member states”, he said, commenting on the appointment. The concern is for the “millions of children” who “have been forced to flee Ukraine”. “Thousands were unlawfully deported to Russia or to the areas it temporarily controls or occupies. Those who have remained in Ukraine continue to suffer immensely from the ongoing war”. The Special Envoy’s tasks will be to raise awareness, promote international cooperation, and coordinate the various initiatives related to the Council of Europe in this area, including the Register of Damage caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and the Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine. Ms Gylfadóttir, a lawyer with extensive ministerial experience in Icelandic governments, said she was “grateful and honoured” for the role. It is a “collective duty” to stand by those children, she pointed out, assuring that she would contribute “to securing and protecting the rights of children of Ukraine and to serving the wider cause of its people”.