April 17, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and counterparts from Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and the United Kingdom, today took part in the sixth call of the Ministerial Coordination Group on COVID-19 (MCGC) to reiterate the need to maintain essential global links as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.

The group agreed on a Joint Declaration outlining a series of practical actions and strongly advocated for other countries to take similar steps. South Korea led a conversation on best practices for emerging from the COVID-19 crisis.

The ministers committed to work together to coordinate their countries’ public health, travel, trade, economic and financial measures in order to minimize disruptions and to ensure a strong recovery that puts people first.

They also recognized and committed to address the particular challenges faced by vulnerable countries, including the resilience of their health systems and their access to medical supplies and personal protective equipment.

The group also stressed the importance of maintaining the flow of essential goods and supplies and the need to preserve maritime routes and air bridges.

Finally, the ministers agreed to continue working closely with their respective domestic airports and airlines to ensure sufficient capacity to allow stranded travellers to return home.