Canada, Norway and Ukraine to hold conference on returning people — Daily Maverick
Canada, Norway and Ukraine will hold the international Pathways to Peace conference in Toronto, Canada, on September 28 and 29, dedicated to the return of Ukrainian children, unlawfully detained civilians and prisoners of war. Foreign ministers and international partners are expected to take part in the event.
An opinion piece published by Daily Maverick states that this will be the second ministerial meeting in this format following an event the three countries held in Canada in 2024. Its stated goal is to support Ukraine’s efforts to return, rehabilitate and reintegrate deported children, detained civilians and prisoners of war.
Return of children and civilians
The authors of the article state that the Russian Federation, an aggressor state, forcibly transferred and unlawfully deported Ukrainian children. According to them, children were separated from their families and communities, and many of them were subjected to attempts to strip them of parts of their identity, including their language, culture and even their names.
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The authors also write about civilians unlawfully detained in territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia. Some of them, according to the opinion piece, were transferred to places of detention in Russia, where they are held without due legal process, contact with loved ones, adequate medical care or independent monitoring.
Situation of prisoners of war
The authors also draw attention to the situation of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian captivity. They note that released service members reported ill-treatment, while independent bodies documented widespread cases of violence, including torture and sexual violence.
In the opinion of the article’s authors, the return of people is a humanitarian necessity and an important component of the peace process. They call on governments, international organizations, humanitarian bodies and civil society to cooperate on an ongoing basis to bring Ukrainians home.
