Canada, Ukraine and Norway will bring international partners together in Toronto later this month to tackle some of the most difficult human consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine: returning Ukrainian children, detained civilians and prisoners of war.
The three countries will co-host Pathways to Peace: Second International Conference on Returning Ukrainian Children, Detained Civilians, and Prisoners of War on September 28 and 29, 2026.
Foreign ministers, senior government representatives and participants from international organizations will gather to strengthen international efforts to bring people home, protect those who remain under Russian control and ensure returnees have access to rehabilitation and reintegration services.
The conference will focus particularly on the unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children, the unlawful detention of civilians, and the protection and return of prisoners of war — issues that remain among the most urgent human consequences of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine.
The Toronto gathering will build on commitments made during the 2024 Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of Ukraine’s 10-Point Peace Formula and the resulting Montreal Pledge. Participants will examine progress since those commitments were made, identify remaining gaps and explore practical ways to translate political commitments into tangible results guided by international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
A central priority will be strengthening the mechanisms that can help Ukrainian children, detained civilians and prisoners of war return home. Discussions will examine tracing, information sharing and international coordination, as well as pathways for return.
For those who remain under Russian control, participants will consider measures to improve humanitarian access, maintain family contact and provide reliable information about their status and whereabouts.
Attention will also turn to what happens after people return. The conference will examine Ukraine’s efforts to provide rehabilitation and reintegration services while advancing accountability and access to justice for violations of international law.
Through ministerial plenary sessions, thematic discussions and expert-level exchanges, Canada, Ukraine and Norway are seeking to move international cooperation beyond commitments toward practical measures that can help reunite families, protect affected individuals and support those returning home.
