Italy says WHO "essential", calls for more anti-coronavirus global coordination

Italian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Marina Sereni on Thursday voiced support for the World Health Organization (WHO) and called for a more coordinated international response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sereni made the remarks after a video conference of foreign ministers in the Alliance for Multilateralism, which was organized by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

She said the WHO is "essential" in fighting the pandemic and that Italy will continue to back the organization's mission.

The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 22,170 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of cases, including fatalities and recoveries, so far to 168,941, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department on Thursday.

The goal of the video conference was to "discuss the need to strengthen global health governance and commit to promoting a coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic," according to a statement of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Beyond the need to respond to domestic problems, there is a need to take action beyond national borders," Sereni said. "This pandemic requires a global response ... This initiative is focused on strengthening multilateralism, which has seen its institutions weakened in recent decades."

Sereni's comments were echoed by foreign ministers from such participating countries as Canada, France and Germany, which also expressed solidarity with the WHO. Maas called the organization the "backbone of the fight against the pandemic" in a statement.

The Alliance for Multilateralism is an informal network of countries grouped with the conviction of the "rules-based international order" and the aim of supporting the United Nations and promoting international collaboration.

The network, which includes 66 participating countries, was founded by Germany and France in 2018. Among the member states, 23 of them attended the video conference on Thursday.

The conference was held after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration is halting the nation's funding to the WHO, which triggered widespread backlash and criticism across the world.

(CGTN)