Canada urges stronger partnerships as global order faces ‘rupture’

Foreign Minister Anita Anand of Canada addresses the General Debate of the UN General Assembly’s 81st session.

Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Anand warned the UN General Assembly on Saturday that the international order has entered an era of profound disruption, calling for stronger multilateral cooperation and new partnerships as major powers increasingly turn away from global economic integration.

Drawing on her upbringing in the coastal province of Nova Scotia, Ms. Anand opened with a maritime metaphor: “The tide does not wait. You must move with it.”

“The tide has turned in the global order,” she said, describing the upheaval as a “rupture, not a transition”.

She argued that great powers were retreating from economic cooperation, while State sovereignty, a cornerstone of the UN Charter , was too often treated “with disdain”.

Against that backdrop, Canada would pursue greater “strategic autonomy”, reducing over-reliance on any single partner while diversifying economic and diplomatic relationships.

Ms. Anand said Canada would build issue-based coalitions of small States, middle powers and major powers to address common challenges, highlighting cooperation in support of Ukraine and security in the Arctic.

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