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:

•  funding of $3 million to support the work of Hala Systems with Save Ukraine and entities within the Government of Ukraine to address not only the deportation but also the indoctrination, militarization and recruitment of Ukrainian children. This contribution will help partners detect emerging threats, identify children most at risk, and lead interventions to enhance their protection before harms deepen.
• an additional $1 million to expand an ongoing project with the German Marshall Fund to bolster the capacity of Ukrainian civil society organizations to advocate and respond to the needs of affected children and their families.

Minister Anand also highlighted how the additional contribution of $2 million to UNICEF announced by Prime Minister Carney will support the development of a dedicated state reintegration service for returned Ukrainian children.

An important objective of Pathways to Peace was to raise awareness and mobilize participants and the international community regarding the importance of appropriate support systems and tools in place for the return of children, civilians and prisoners of war to Ukraine. To this end, Minister Anand announced $863 000 in new funding to various initiatives, including:

• an additional contribution of $500,000 to enable more robust support for male survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, including civilians returned from Russian detention and former prisoners of war.
• a contribution of $363,000 to multiple Canada Fund for Local Initiatives projects to support community-based organizations in delivering practical support, restore dignity, and build toward the recovery of those who return.

Minister Anand also reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to work with Ukraine on developing a multi-donor pooled initiative to support the implementation of Ukraine’s National Veteran Strategy, to ensure that those who have defended Ukraine have access to the services they need.

On September 10, 2026, Canada announced sanctions against eight additional individuals involved in Russia’s violations of Ukrainian children’s rights, including their unlawful deportation and forcible transfer, and their exposure to indoctrination and militarization. At the conference, Minister Anand reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to continue working with partners and the international community to ensure those responsible for the unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children face consequences.

Canada will continue to support efforts to protect and return Ukrainian children, civilians and prisoners of war in accordance with international humanitarian law and to assist in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.