What to do? This is the fundamental question facing global leaders as a devastating COVID-19 pandemic spreads at exponential rates around the globe. UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, says the world is at war with a virus, with 100,000 cases after three months, 200,000 in the next 12 days, 400,000 in the next four days, and 500,000 in the next day and a half.

At time of writing, identified cases had topped 690,000. There is urgency to finding common ground on the measures and approaches that work to treat those infected, to slow the spread of disease, and to mitigate the impact on global economies and global well-being. Canada's international networks and institutions have never been so vital as they are now.