Biden, Trudeau Release “U.S.-Canada Partnership Roadmap”

While the U.S. government announced borders between the United States and Canada and Mexico will remain shut until at least March 21, President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met virtually last week and pledged to work together on issues ranging from climate change to COVID-19.

After their meeting, the White House released a fact sheet outlining a new joint initiative, the “The U.S.-Canada Partnership Roadmap,” that will:

• Support for multilateral institutions that are on the front lines of COVID-19 response, including the World Health Organization and United Nations development agencies;
• Strengthen supply chain resilience and clean economic growth initiatives “driven by workers, communities, and businesses”;
• Create a High Level Climate Ministerial to align climate change policies and goals, which include strengthening implementation of the Paris Agreement to achieve the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050;
• Address systemic racism, gender-based discrimination, barriers for persons with disabilities, and all other forms of discrimination and exclusion by implementing more effective, equitable, and inclusive approaches to community safety, criminal justice, and law enforcement;
• Modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command and enhance law enforcement collaboration by reestablishing the Cross-Border Crime Forum;
• Reaffirm a shared commitment to multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, G7 and G20, the World Trade Organization, North American Treaty Organization, and the Five Eyes community; and
• Revive the North American Leaders’ Summit as a recommitment of solidarity among the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Reuters has provided additional information about the meeting.