More than 80 international representatives have converged on Toronto for a new phase of international efforts to secure the return of Ukrainian children, prisoners of war and civilians detained amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
The two-day Pathways to Peace: Second International Conference on Returning Ukrainian Children, Detained Civilians and Prisoners of War, which opened Monday, is expected to produce a binding operational framework aimed at strengthening the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Geneva Conventions.
The framework is expected to improve international coordination on tracing, repatriating, protecting and reintegrating Ukrainian children who Ukrainian authorities say were unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred.
The conference is being co-hosted by Canada, Norway and Ukraine and brings together representatives from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific and Europe, underscoring the increasingly international character of efforts to address the humanitarian consequences of the conflict.
The Toronto meeting will also review progress under the Montreal Pledge, a roadmap launched in October 2024 to support the return of deported Ukrainian children, prisoners of war and unlawfully detained civilians.
Ukrainian authorities have documented and verified 20,651 cases of deportation or forcible transfer of children, according to figures provided ahead of the conference. As of September 28, 2,644 children had returned to Ukraine under the Bring Kids Back UA framework.
Delegates are expected to agree practical next steps covering tracing and return operations, as well as protection and reintegration after children and other detainees are brought home.
The conference comes as governments and international organisations continue to grapple with the logistical and legal challenges involved in returning people separated from their families and communities during the war.
A key focus is expected to be the development of coordinated mechanisms capable of translating existing international legal obligations into operational processes for locating individuals, verifying identities, securing returns and supporting reintegration.
The participation of countries across multiple regions also reflects efforts to build broader diplomatic support for the process beyond Europe and Ukraine’s immediate international partners.
Bring Kids Back UA, an initiative of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was launched on May 31, 2023, to coordinate the efforts of Ukrainian government institutions, non-governmental organisations and international partners involved in returning children deported or forcibly transferred by Russia.
The initiative has become a central mechanism for coordinating Ukraine’s efforts to secure the return of affected children and mobilise international support around the issue.
The Toronto conference is intended to build on the commitments made through the Montreal Pledge while moving discussions towards more practical mechanisms for implementation.
Beyond the immediate objective of securing returns, the process involves longer-term challenges around protection, family reunification and reintegration, making international coordination critical to the sustainability of repatriation efforts.
The conference is scheduled to run for two days, with participating governments expected to set out further commitments and practical measures as discussions progress.
Organisers said updates and materials would be released throughout the conference, with a final statement outlining the overall outcomes, accompanied by photographs, expected at the conclusion of the meeting.
