Prime Minister Mark Carney is in New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, where Canada is pursuing a packed diplomatic agenda focused on strengthening international partnerships, economic ties and the multilateral system. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, however, will deliver Canada’s official national statement to the General Assembly rather than the prime minister.
Global Affairs Canada says Anand is scheduled to deliver Canada’s national statement on September 26, outlining the country’s foreign-policy priorities and approach to major geopolitical challenges. It will be the second consecutive year that Carney does not personally deliver Canada’s address to the General Assembly; Global News reported, citing a senior government official, that a scheduling conflict is behind the decision.
Carney is nevertheless participating directly in UNGA81. His official schedule for Tuesday included attending the opening of the General Debate and holding meetings with Chilean President José Antonio Kast, Angolan President João Lourenço, UAE Industry and Advanced Technology Minister Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Carney was also scheduled to deliver remarks at a leader-level event on the two-state solution.
As of Tuesday’s published schedule, there is no formal meeting between Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump listed. Canadian officials had also said ahead of the UN gathering that no meetings with members of the U.S. administration were scheduled, although they acknowledged that the scale of the General Assembly means Carney and Trump could encounter one another during the gathering.
The absence of a scheduled bilateral meeting comes as Canada and the United States navigate significant trade tensions. At the same time, Carney has been seeking to diversify Canada’s international relationships, with his office saying the New York visit is intended to deepen ties with both established and new partners, strengthen Canadian sovereignty and expand economic opportunities. “At a moment when the international order is being remade, Canada intends to help shape it,” Carney said ahead of the trip.
Canada has also joined Australia, Barbados, Brazil, the European Union, India and Kenya in an initiative reaffirming support for multilateralism and international law. The countries warned about growing polarization, conflict, protectionism, coercion and the use of economic interdependence as leverage, while calling for reform of international institutions and more resilient global supply chains.
Anand, meanwhile, is holding her own series of diplomatic meetings during High-Level Week. Her planned agenda includes discussions with G7 and Nordic-Baltic counterparts, talks on Sudan, maritime security and Ukraine, and events focused on protecting civilians during armed conflict. She has already met Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, with discussions covering tensions in the Gulf, maritime security, Gaza and the West Bank.
Together, Carney and Anand’s engagements signal Ottawa’s effort to use UNGA81 to advance a broader Canadian foreign-policy strategy: strengthening Canada’s position in an increasingly divided international environment while building a wider network of security, diplomatic and economic partnerships.
