Ukraine has moved the date of Children’s Day to November 20 to mark it together with the international community – on World Children’s Day. This is stated in Presidential Decree № 355/2025, signed today by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
November 20 marks the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.
The tradition of marking Children’s Day on June 1 originated primarily in socialist bloc countries and was not embraced globally. That date was officially adopted in Ukraine in 1998. As of today, the previous decree has been repealed.
President Zelenskyy also recently signed a decree establishing a new Presidential Award “Future of Ukraine”, which will be given specifically to children for acts of personal bravery and resilience, helping save lives, active civic engagement, volunteerism, and for upholding universal values, national interests of Ukraine, its development, and a dignified future.
Today, the President also signed the first decree awarding children with this new honor.