[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1443 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1443

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives to condemn the 
 atrocities, war crimes, and crimes against humanity being perpetrated 
        against Ukrainian children by the Government of Russia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 21, 2022

    Ms. Speier (for herself and Ms. Kaptur) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives to condemn the 
 atrocities, war crimes, and crimes against humanity being perpetrated 
        against Ukrainian children by the Government of Russia.

Whereas, on February 24, 2022, Russia began a further military invasion of 
        Ukraine's sovereign territory, that in addition to causing tens of 
        thousands of Ukrainian civilian casualties has uniquely impacted the 
        safety, health, education, and human rights of Ukrainian children;
Whereas Russia's unprovoked invasion has caused over 7,200,000 refugees and 
        6,900,000 internally displaced migrants, approximately 90 percent of 
        whom are women and children, to flee the country as of September 13, 
        2022;
Whereas the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine found 
        that Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine including the rape, torture, 
        and unlawful confinement of children as young as 4;
Whereas at the height of the conflict nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian 
        children were displaced either internally or internationally and 379 
        children have been killed in the conflict as of September 19, 2022;
Whereas during the bombardment of Mariupol on March 9, 2022, the Russian 
        military targeted and destroyed a hospital maternity ward, killing at 
        least 3 people, including one newborn, and wounding at least 17 others;
Whereas, on March 16, 2022, a Russian airstrike targeted a theater in Mariupol 
        that was being used as a civilian bomb shelter and which had the word 
        ``CHILDREN'' written in large lettering visible on satellite images, 
        killing up to 600 civilians, including a large number of children who 
        had been sheltering inside;
Whereas Ukraine has accused Russian forces of using Ukrainian children as 
        ``human shields'' while retreating from Bucha, Ukraine, and taking 
        children hostage in multiple conflict zones across the country in order 
        to prevent locals from cooperating with the Ukrainian military;
Whereas 16 children were among the hundreds of civilians killed by Russian 
        troops during Russia's occupation of Bucha;
Whereas, on May 2, 2022, a Russian missile strike on a dormitory in Odesa, 
        Ukraine, killed a 14-year-old boy and wounded a 17-year-old girl;
Whereas there have been multiple reports of Ukrainian parents writing the 
        contact information of extended family members in permanent marker on 
        the bodies of their small children so they may be united with family if 
        the parent is killed;
Whereas prior to Russia's further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, 
        approximately 4,230,000 children had been enrolled in Ukrainian schools, 
        and the resulting conflict has caused a disruption in education for over 
        half of those students;
Whereas more than 2,400 education facilities have been damaged and more than 200 
        destroyed as of September 5, 2022;
Whereas Russian military forces have attacked numerous civilian buildings that 
        primarily serve women and children, including, as of May 10, 2022, 
        approximately 200 health care facilities and an average of 22 schools a 
        day since the beginning of the war;
Whereas attacks near or on schools is in direct opposition to United Nations 
        Security Council Resolution 2601 adopted in 2021, which condemns attacks 
        on schools and calls for all necessary safeguards to protect the right 
        to education;
Whereas more than 1 in 6 UNICEF-supported ``safe schools'' in eastern Ukraine, 
        which pledge to remain open and keep students and staff safe during 
        times of war, have been damaged or destroyed by Russian forces during 
        the conflict;
Whereas there is evidence of refugees fleeing the conflict being subject to 
        human-trafficking activities, which disproportionately target women, 
        children, those travelling alone, and undocumented people;
Whereas an April 2022 survey conducted by the International Rescue Committee at 
        Ukrainian refugee camps in Poland found that 28 percent of refugees felt 
        they were at risk of human trafficking and 19 percent said they had 
        already experienced some form of sexual abuse;
Whereas the Department of State asserts that more than 260,000 children have 
        been deported to Russia to be forcibly adopted by Russian families;
Whereas the mass deportation of people during conflict is classified as a war 
        crime under international law, and the forcible transfer of children out 
        of a group of people is classified as genocide under the 1948 Genocide 
        Convention;
Whereas, prior to February 24, Ukraine's orphanages, boarding schools, and other 
        similar institutions housed over 91,000 children, one of the largest 
        number of institutionalized children of any European country, over half 
        of whom are disabled, require specialized care, or are otherwise 
        vulnerable, and who now face heightened risk of trafficking, abuse, and 
        other exploitation as a result of Russia's invasion;
Whereas according to UNICEF, the conflict in Ukraine will have a significant 
        psychological impact on Ukrainian children, likely requiring intensive 
        psychological support;
Whereas children who experience war or conflict are at heightened risk of 
        developing anxiety disorders, depression, and long-term psychological 
        trauma, and that these risks can increase the longer a child is 
        displaced from his or her home, family members, school, friends, and/or 
        normal routine;
Whereas, as of May 6, 2022, UNICEF reported that 140,000 Ukrainian children and 
        their caregivers had sought mental health and psychosocial services; and
Whereas the United Nations Child Rights Committee has demanded that Russia 
        immediately cease its aggression and military actions and uphold its 
        obligations to protect children from physical and psychological violence 
        as enshrined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the 
        Child: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, its 
        peaceful neighbor, which has caused horrific loss of life, 
        injury, and suffering to the children of Ukraine;
            (2) demands an investigation into atrocities, war crimes, 
        and crimes against humanity perpetrated against Ukrainian 
        civilians by Russian military forces and military contractors, 
        and particularly against children, that holds Russian 
        servicemembers, military contractors, and leaders responsible 
        for such actions; and
            (3) urges the President of the United States--
                    (A) to take all available actions to mitigate the 
                physical and psychological harm being done to children 
                in Ukraine;
                    (B) to urge international parties to fully 
                investigate atrocities and war crimes committed by 
                Russia against children in Ukraine, including, but not 
                limited to, allegations of murder, torture, kidnapping, 
                and bombing of schools and other civilian areas where 
                children are present, in violation of international 
                law; and
                    (C) to use interagency partnerships and existing 
                authorities, including the Global Magnitsky Human 
                Rights Accountability Act, to impose further targeted 
                sanctions against individuals and entities responsible 
                for perpetrating crimes against children in Ukraine or 
                contributing to further harm against Ukrainian 
                children.
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