The international order is undergoing "a rupture, not a transition," Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said on Saturday, as major powers retreat from economic cooperation and increasingly challenge national sovereignty.
"The tide has turned in the global order," Anand told the 81st UN General Assembly, warning that economic integration is being dismantled and the sovereignty of states, a cornerstone of the UN Charter, is often disregarded.
Anand said Canada would respond by pursuing greater "strategic autonomy," reducing its dependence on any single partner and expanding ties with longstanding and new partners.
Ottawa would also build issue-based coalitions with small states, middle powers and major powers to tackle common challenges, while continuing to strengthen the wider multilateral system, she said.
Anand said Canada would pursue "values-based realism" and work with other middle powers to help shape the emerging international order.
"Though some would build higher walls and retreat from international engagement, we believe that long-term partnerships are the way to prosperity and security," she said.
Turning to foreign policy priorities, Anand reaffirmed support for Ukraine and NATO, stronger ties with Europe and greater cooperation with Arctic partners.
She also pledged a continued Canadian presence in the Indo-Pacific and deeper economic relations with India and China.
Canada is seeking new opportunities in the Gulf and Latin America and expanding trade ties with Africa, she said. On Haiti, Anand welcomed preparations for elections while acknowledging continuing security challenges.
She also condemned Iran's regional actions and said Tehran must never acquire a nuclear weapon.
On Israel and Palestine, Anand said both sides have a right to self-determination and reiterated Canada's support for a negotiated two-state solution.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace, she said, noting Canada's decision to restrict trade in goods from Israeli settlements.
Israeli military and occupier attacks in the West Bank have intensified since the war in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023. At least 1,206 Palestinians, including 254 children, have been killed, about 13,350 wounded and more than 24,600 arrested during that period, according to Palestinian figures.
The UN has repeatedly affirmed that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law, warning that they undermine prospects for the two-state solution.
