Canada, Ukraine, and Norway will co-host an international conference in Toronto on September 28 and 29, 2026, aimed at securing the return of Ukrainian children, detained civilians, and prisoners of war held under Russian control.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced the upcoming gathering, titled Pathways to Peace: Second International Conference on Returning Ukrainian Children, Detained Civilians, and Prisoners of War, noting that the two-day event will draw foreign ministers, senior government representatives, and delegates from international organizations.
According to Global Affairs Canada, the conference seeks to bolster international support for repatriation efforts, enhance protections for individuals remaining under Russian occupation, and establish reliable pathways for rehabilitation and reintegration services upon their return.
Diplomatic Objectives and Priority Framework
The upcoming Toronto gathering expands upon pledges formed during the 2024 Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of Ukraine’s 10-Point Peace Formula alongside the Montreal Pledge. Participating delegations will evaluate current progress, pinpoint institutional gaps, and establish practical measures grounded in international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
Discussions across the ministerial plenary sessions and thematic exchanges will concentrate on three core pillars:
- Repatriation Pathways: Enhancing tracing mechanisms, cross-border information sharing, and institutional coordination to bring Ukrainian children, detained civilians, and prisoners of war home.
- Active Protection: Securing humanitarian access, facilitating family contact, and maintaining reliable status updates for individuals who remain under Russian control.
- Rehabilitation and Justice: Supporting Ukraine’s domestic capacity to provide rehabilitation and reintegration services while advancing accountability and access to justice for violations of international law.
Documented Figures and Captivity Realities
Federal data released alongside the conference announcement outlines the scale of human displacement and detention resulting from the ongoing conflict. Official agencies in Ukraine have registered 20,651 instances involving the possible unlawful deportation or forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by Russia. To date, 2,573 of those children have been successfully returned from deportation, forcible transfer, and temporarily occupied territories.
Regarding adult detainees, Ukraine’s parliamentary commissioner for human rights confirmed that 1,878 civilians were being unlawfully detained by Russia as of June. Global Affairs Canada noted that the actual figure may be significantly higher, with civil society organizations estimating that up to 20,000 civilians could be held in detention. While Ukraine does not disclose the precise count of its military personnel held as prisoners of war, federal records indicate that 9,529 Ukrainian military personnel and civilians had been returned from Russian captivity as of August.
Wider Geopolitical Context
The diplomatic push in Toronto coincides with an intensified air campaign across Ukraine. Local officials reported that Russian strikes killed eight civilians and wounded dozens more, including residential areas struck in Zaporizhzhia and Odesa, where regional authorities documented 35 injuries from a massive assault.
The strikes followed statements from Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies in India, where he warned that any European deployment of troops to Ukraine would constitute a direct conflict with Moscow. Concurrently, Canadian financial commitments to Ukraine have surpassed $26 billion in multifaceted aid since the start of the full-scale invasion, including more than $750 million dedicated explicitly to recovery and reconstruction.
