Trudeau Says Carney Will Play a Role in UN Development Panel

(Bloomberg) -- Canada will co-chair an international panel with the United Nations and Jamaica to discuss how to shield developing countries from the coronavirus pandemic.

The key aim of the event is for countries and institutions to work together on “concrete solutions to the development emergency” caused by Covid-19, according to a statement from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office. Former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney will be involved, Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.

“We’re bringing together leaders from every region of the world as well as heads of international institutions to work on shared strategies to protect the global economy, support our citizens and help the most vulnerable,” Trudeau said Tuesday. The panel, to be co-chaired by Andrew Holness, prime minister of Jamaica, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres will address issues including expanding liquidity in the global economy, stabilizing financial stability and “measures to expand fiscal space.”

Government and heads of state are invited to attend the virtual meeting to be held on Thursday. The panel portion will be broadcast online. Carney, who also led the Bank of Canada, will be involved in the forum, though Trudeau didn’t elaborate on what role he’d play.

Canada is currently campaigning for a seat on the UN Security Council in 2021.

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