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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to attend the United Nations General Assembly next week as geopolitical instability, war and U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the multilateral order hang over the event.
Carney will not give a speech in front of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly while in New York City from Monday to Wednesday. Senior government officials said the prime minister will meet with world and business leaders and take part in UN events.
In a news release, Carney said “the world is looking at Canada differently.”
“At a moment when the international order is being remade, Canada intends to help shape it,” he added. “At the General Assembly, we will sit down with partners old and new, defend the rules that protect our sovereignty, and turn co-operation into real opportunity for Canadian workers and businesses.”
Government officials said Carney will co-host with France and the United Kingdom an event on the two-state solution, one year after the three countries recognized an independent Palestinian state at the General Assembly.
The officials said it will be an opportunity for the nations to continue to show support for the two-state solution, and to look at the implementation of key priorities and progress made.
Earlier this month, Ottawa joined European nations in a pledge to ban imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Canada and the other countries accused Israel of enabling settler violence and working to expand settlements that are widely understood to be illegal under international law.
A major Jewish lobby group said Friday it shares the goal of securing a peaceful future for the region but called Ottawa’s approach a “dangerous double standard.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said the United Nations platforms “brutal regimes while systematically singling out the Jewish state.”
“As Prime Minister Carney heads to the United Nations, Canada should bring an approach that is consistent, constructive and grounded in Canadian interests,” the centre said in a statement. “That begins with fairness — and ending the double standard toward Israel.”
While at the General Assembly, Carney will take part in an OceanEye International Alliance event — to secure sustained investment and open ocean data — along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
He also will participate in a roundtable discussion on strengthening multilateral collaboration with European Council President António Costa and Kenya’s President William Ruto.
The discussions come as the UN continues to tackle massive reformation efforts. Trump and his administration have demanded significant changes and have held back funding for the institution, putting it in turmoil.
The Trump administration has withdrawn from multiple UN organizations, including the World Health Organization and the cultural agency UNESCO.
The UN is also in the process of selecting its next secretary-general.
The news release said Carney will work with partners to help build a more effective UN that is better equipped to deliver on its core priorities of peace and security, development and human rights.
As Trump pulls away from international institutions, Carney has worked on strengthening relationships with global partners, sometimes to the chagrin of the U.S. president.
Earlier this week, von der Leyen used her state of the union address to the European Parliament to open the door to Canada becoming what she called the first “associate member” of the EU.
Trump said he views the prospect of Canada becoming an associate member of the EU as a possible “hostile act” and threatened to impose more tariffs on Europe.
Trump has been escalating his trade war with Canada since trade talks broke down last month.
The president imposed 50 per cent tariffs on an array of Canadian goods, moved to ban some Canadian imports outright later this month and signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America.
Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum directing federal agencies overseeing government procurement in the United States to remove all products of Canadian origin.
Canadian officials said the General Assembly is large event and Carney and Trump could run into each other. They added that there are no meetings currently scheduled with members of the U.S. administration.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is set to deliver a speech during the General Assembly.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2026.
— By Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington, with files from Dylan Robertson in Ottawa and The Associated Press
The Canadian Press
