Canada pushes its middle-power agenda at the UN General Assembly
Anand highlighted that Canada’s “middle power strategy” is beginning to yield results as the UN’s biggest annual gathering convenes. She announced the launch of a new coalition called Partners for Multilateralism, aimed at bolstering U.N.-style cooperation. The remarks follow Prime Minister Mark Carney’s earlier call for middle powers to act together amid shifting global dynamics.
At the United Nations General Assembly, Foreign Minister Anita Anand affirmed that Canada is embracing a more prominent role as a champion of middle powers. She noted that the country’s “middle power strategy” is starting to pay off and that the assembly provides a platform for other like-minded nations to look to Canada for leadership. Anand introduced the Partners for Multilateralism initiative, a new group of advocates for international cooperation launched on the sidelines of the meeting.
The push builds on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s winter speech urging middle powers to collaborate rather than be sidelined, as well as his recent trade and diplomatic moves, including a summit with global investors and talks of free-trade deals with India. Canada’s objectives span trade, security, Arctic defence and support for Ukraine, now framed under the middle-power approach. Anand will deliver Canada’s main address to the assembly on Saturday, emphasizing “principled pragmatism.”
