Carney, other world leaders launch effort to spur middle power co-operation

Carney, other world leaders launch effort to spur middle power co-operation STEVEN CHASE SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER PUBLISHED 51 MINUTES AGO UPDATED 31 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at Parliament Hill on Monday. He is teaming with the leaders of Brazil, Kenya and the European Council to create Partners for Multilateralism. ADRIAN WYLD/THE CANADIAN PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. Prime Minister Mark Carney and other world leaders are launching an effort in a bid to strengthen international co-operation in the face of a “more fragmented and polarized” world, where the rules-based order is eroding. Mr. Carney, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, European Council President António Costa and Kenyan President William Ruto announced in a Financial Times article on Sunday they are creating Partners for Multilateralism (P4M). The aim is to “create a flexible, open framework for countries from different regions and political traditions that are willing to work across divides, to build coalitions for reform and to translate shared principles into practical action.” They said P4M will support the reform of the United Nations and other multilateral organizations “to make them more representative, legitimate, effective and trusted.” These ideas echo Mr. Carney’s January Davos speech in which he said the postwar rules-based order has broken down, and now, great powers use tariffs, financial systems and supply chains as tools of coercion, and institutions such as the World Trade Organization, the United Nations and the COP climate process are under threat. The Canadian Prime Minister will offer further remarks Monday night in New York on this effort as world leaders gather for the opening of the UN General Assembly. Open this photo in gallery: A security drone flies near the United Nations flag ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York City on Monday. DAVID DEE DELGADO/REUTERS Mr. Carney and the others said that while the world is more interconnected than ever, 2025 saw 65 state-based armed conflicts across 35 countries, the highest number recorded since 1946, and global military spending rose to a record US$2.9-trillion. “International law is under strain. The language of spheres of influence and power politics is back. Economic ties are increasingly used as instruments of pressure and…