A Canadian man who was held in China for nearly three years is urging governments worldwide to coordinate sanctions and travel bans on states that detain foreigners for political reasons. At a United Nations forum organized by the Canadian government, Michael Kovrig emphasized the detrimental impact of arbitrary detention on innocent people and called for collective advocacy and negotiation. Kovrig expressed gratitude for the support he received from Canadian consular officials and the public during his detention in China. He and fellow Canadian Michael Spavor were arrested in December 2018, widely believed to be in retaliation for the arrest of Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada. The Canadian government, along with the United States, Malawi, and Costa Rica, is spearheading an initiative to discourage arbitrary detention by establishing a set of principles and an action plan with consequences for those who unjustly arrest foreigners. The government of Malawi specifically highlighted concerns regarding the imprisonment of journalists from countries with which states have disputes, citing the case of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich detained in Russia.