The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada, together with co-organizers Norway and Ukraine, will host the Ministerial Conference on the Human Dimension of Ukraine's 10-Point Peace Formula on October 30-31, 2024.

“Canada continues to deploy significant efforts to raise awareness of, and advocate on the issue of, illegally detained and deported Ukrainians, a critical issue dating back to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014 that has been exacerbated since the launch of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression in 2022. I look forward to welcoming my counterparts to Canada and exchanging views on how the international community can support Ukraine in its efforts for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.”

- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada

“The release of all prisoners and deported persons from Russian captivity, including children, is Ukraine’s top priority. I look forward to working together on the solutions that will ensure the return of our people back home and the restoration of just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”

- Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

“The return of all our people—every detained and deported Ukrainian—is a fundamental precondition for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine. The human dimension is one of the core elements of Ukraine’s Peace Formula. It is crucial that we, as an international community, unite our efforts in Canada to find solutions that will bring every Ukrainian home.”

- Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine

“Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has lasted for more than two and a half years. The ongoing hostilities and occupation of Ukrainian territory continuously expose Ukrainian civilians to the risk of detention by Russian forces or agents and other violations. The scale and complexity of the many thousands of Ukrainians in detention, children as well as adults, call for closer scrutiny by the world community on how to stop it, and I look forward to working closely with my Ukrainian and Canadian colleagues on this important agenda.”

- Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced Ukraine's 10-Point Peace Formula in November 2022 at the G20 summit. In August 2023, ten working groups were established, each dedicated to a specific pillar of the 10-point Peace Formula. Canada, along with Norway, are co-chairs of Working Group 4, which focuses on the return of prisoners of war, detained civilians, and illegally transferred and deported children.

• Canada and Ukraine co-lead the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. Launched in February 2024, in Kyiv, this coalition has expanded to 40 states, including some non-Western countries.

• In June 2024, Ukraine and Switzerland hosted the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, a diplomatic initiative to garner international support for Ukraine’s Peace Formula. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the summit and chaired a breakout session on the human dimension of the war in Ukraine. He also announced that Canada will host a ministerial conference on this human dimension this year.

Associated links

• Canada-Ukraine relations
• Canada-Norway relations
• Toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine
• Backgrounder: Toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine
• Summit on Peace for Ukraine – Joint Communiqué on a Peace Framework
• International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children

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