Today, 6 February, the Annual Conference on Human Rights took place in Tallinn. This year’s conference focused on the state and universality of human rights in a multipolar world. Discussions addressed, among other topics, children’s rights in armed conflicts, the protection of human rights in the digital space, and differing state interpretations of human rights conventions and international law.
The discussion on deported Ukrainian children was opened by Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna via a video address, in which he stressed that the abduction, illegal transfer and forced Russification of Ukrainian children are a central part of Russia’s military strategy. “Russia is using Ukrainian children as a weapon, attempting to destroy their childhood, erase their identity and sever their ties with their homeland,” he said.
“This is a deliberate tactic aimed at breaking the Ukrainian nation, starting with its most vulnerable link. By now, tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been illegally deported to Russia, and Russia has shown not the slightest intention of changing its actions. We must not allow this to continue.”
According to Tsahkna, international pressure on Russia must increase. “Both economic and political pressure are essential to force Russia to end its aggression,” he noted. “At the same time, it is important to continue the systematic documentation of Russia’s violations of international law and human rights, so that all crimes committed can be prosecuted and duly punished.”
From 2026 to 2028, Estonia serves as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, where one of our objectives is to stand up for children’s rights, including in armed conflicts, and to ensure accountability for human rights violations. Estonia has supported the establishment and launch of the Council of Europe’s Register of Damage Caused for Ukraine and advocates the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression under the auspices of the Council of Europe to hold those responsible for the aggression to account.
In the second half of the day, the Undersecretary for Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minna Liina Lind, opened a discussion focusing on whether universal human rights remain valid in today’s world.
The undersecretary emphasised that the rules-based world order, including the protection and safeguarding of human rights, is of existential importance for small states such as Estonia. “Clear international norms help ensure our security, sovereignty and independence,” she said. “Our task is to continue cooperating with like-minded countries, both in coalitions and in international fora, to defend our fundamental rights, draw international attention to human rights violations, and ensure accountability for all breaches of law. Our strength is born of cooperation, jointly agreed rules and the readiness to defend them.”
The Annual Conference on Human Rights has been organised by the Human Rights Institute since 2011. Each year, the annual conferences have brought together more than 300 public figures, politicians, diplomats, civil servants, journalists, analysts and representatives of civil society from over 30 countries.
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