On Monday, Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica will attend, on behalf of the European Commission, the second international conference on returning Ukrainian children, detained civilians and prisoners of war, which is taking place in Toronto, Canada. The conference, which is co-hosted by Canada, Ukraine and Norway, brings together foreign ministers, senior representatives and international organisations to strengthen efforts to bring people home and ensure that those who return can access rehabilitation and reintegration services.
This conference follows the High-Level Meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, held in Brussels on 11 May 2026, which was hosted by High Representative and Commission Vice-President, Kaja Kallas, and Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, on behalf of the European Union, together with Ukraine and Canada. At this meeting, the European Union mobilised €50 million to strengthen Ukraine’s child protection system, expand child-centred and community-based services, support early childhood education, improve access to justice and reinforce digital systems, including for compensation claims.
Commissioner Šuica brings long-standing personal engagement to this issue. In her previous mandate as Vice-President for Demography and Democracy, she was closely involved in efforts to support Ukrainian children evacuated to Europe, including through her visit to Hotel Ossa in Poland, which hosted large groups of evacuated Ukrainian children.
Building on these efforts and the 2024 Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of Ukraine’s 10-Point Peace Formula, participants will now focus on three priorities: supporting efforts to bring Ukrainian children, detained civilians and prisoners of war home, including through stronger tracing, information-sharing and coordination; protecting those remaining under Russian control, including through humanitarian access and family contact; and supporting rehabilitation and reintegration after return, while advancing accountability and access to justice for violations of international law.
Commissioner Šuica said: “Russia’s crimes are heinous. Children are being stripped of their childhood. Families are being torn apart and left in the dark about the fate of their loved ones. I have seen first-hand the profound impact of this war on Ukrainian children. We must continue to do everything in our power to bring them home and ensure that they receive the care and support they need. This Conference sends a clear signal that the international community will continue to work to hold those responsible accountable. It is also an excellent opportunity to take stock of the implementation of the initiatives we announced earlier this year in Brussels. The EU will always stand by the most vulnerable.”
A joint statement will be published following the event.
