Canada, Ukraine and Norway conclude conference on returning Ukrainian children, detained civilians and prisoners of war

The unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children, the unlawful detention of civilians, and the treatment of prisoners of war are among the gravest consequences of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

October 1, 2026 - Toronto, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children, the unlawful detention of civilians, and the treatment of prisoners of war are among the gravest consequences of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

To this end, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Denys Uliutin, Minister of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine, and Eivind Vad Petersson, State Secretary for the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, co-hosted "Pathways to Peace: Second International Conference on Returning Ukrainian Children, Detained Civilians, and Prisoners of War" in Toronto, Ontario, on September 28 and 29, 2026.

At the conference, Minister Anand announced a series of initiatives to strengthen Canada’s support to Ukraine in bringing people home and ensuring that they have access to rehabilitation and reintegration services.

At the end of the conference, 54 countries and organizations endorsed the Toronto Pledge. The pledge translates solidarity into action through collective commitments to advance efforts to bring Ukrainian children, unlawfully detained civilians and prisoners of war home, and to support them - and their families - as they rebuild their lives.

Minister Anand provided details on the allocation of $6 million in funding to support organizations working to meet the most pressing needs of Ukrainian children, as announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Canada on September 10-11, 2026: