Carney to attend United Nations General Assembly at pivotal time for the institution

WASHINGTON — Mark Carney is set to attend the United Nations General Assembly for the first time since becoming prime minister — just as war in the Middle East and U.S. President Donald Trump’s push against multilateralism hang over the gathering of world leaders.

Carney will not give a speech in front of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly while in New York City from Sunday to Wednesday. Instead, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will address the forum later next week.

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A government news release said Carney will meet with world leaders at the UN “to advance peace, security and human rights.” Senior government officials said Carney is scheduled to meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, other heads of state and CEOs.

Global leaders, including Carney, will be navigating some difficult diplomacy on Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank, and could risk the ire of the American president.

Canada and other major U.S. allies are expected to recognize an independent Palestinian state at the General Assembly.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has condemned the move by other nations to recognize a Palestinian state, saying it emboldens Hamas.

On Thursday, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas. American officials said the resolution didn’t go far enough in condemning Hamas.

After Rubio revoked the visas of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials, the UN General Assembly voted to allow Abbas to make an address by video.

“I think the General Assembly … will be in many respects a nothingburger, apart from the push for Palestinian statehood,” said Susan Rice, the former U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations.

The UN has struggled with its response to the suffering in Gaza as it also faces an existential crisis over the institution’s future.

The assembly’s theme this year is “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights” — but Trump has pulled back America’s support for the UN.

Trump ordered a review of the United States’ involvement in the United Nations, withdrew from its Human Rights Council and froze U.S. funding. World leaders will be watching to see what kind of tone the president takes if he addresses the General Assembly next week.

Rice, speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations on Sept. 15, said there are legitimate criticisms to be made about the effectiveness of the United Nations — but that doesn’t mean the U.S. should disengage.

“We are not playing on the fields we have traditionally played on as a global superpower,” she said.

“We are not competing, we are not advancing our interests, we are not playing the leadership role that the United States traditionally has under Democratic and Republican administrations.”

Trump has voiced skepticism about the United Nations and other global institutions, said Fen Osler Hampson, international affairs professor at Carleton University. Next week’s General Assembly could prove to be a crucial moment for the institution, he said.

“It is a moment of real crisis for the institution and probably the biggest crisis it has faced since its founding, to be honest,” Hampson said. “Because one of the biggest supporters of the UN is turning its back on that institution.”

For Canada and other countries, Hampson said, the question will be “who is going to pick up the slack?”

Nations around the world are facing fiscal pressures, driven in part by Trump’s massive tariff regime. Europe has dramatically boosted defence spending in response to America’s inconsistent support for the continent, and as Russia ramps up incursions in Ukraine and pushes boundaries on NATO nations’ borders.

Development assistance and humanitarian aid — key pillars of the UN — may fall by the wayside.

“The UN is being, shall we say, downsized pretty dramatically before our very eyes,” Hampson said.

The international community is looking to see if Canada will maintain its strong support for the UN, and what it’s prepared to put on the table, Hampson said. It’s not clear if there will be any financial pledges directed at the United Nations.

Senior government officials said Carney’s participation at the General Assembly underscores Canada’s commitment to multilateralism and international collaboration at a moment when collective action is critical to addressing global challenges — and when institutions like the UN are under profound stress.

Carney is set to attend the opening of high-level general debate and co-host a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the margins of the General Assembly.

Carney is also using the global gathering to support his efforts to build stronger economic relationships with other nations as Trump’s tariffs hammer key Canadian industries.

“We have the resources the world needs and the values to which others aspire,” Carney said in Friday’s news release.

“At this hinge moment in history, Canada is leading with strength — creating new opportunities for Canadian workers and investing in peace, security, and reliable global partnerships to build a safer, more resilient, and more prosperous world for all.”

— with files from The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2025.

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press