OTTAWA – Prime Minister Mark Carney will not be giving a major speech on foreign policy to the United Nations General Assembly when he visits next week.
A July schedule had Carney slated to speak on Sept. 27, but an updated schedule released earlier this month says Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will instead address the assembly on Canada’s behalf two days later.
Carney’s office says the government will explain the change in plans later today and he will be in New York from Sunday to Wednesday.
Carney is set to take part in events at the UN about Ukraine, Haiti and the Middle East, and will attend a summit on reforming financing for development projects as governments cut foreign aid and funding for climate adaptation.
Anand has said that while Canada will be formally recognizing Palestinian statehood at the UN, this won’t mean an immediate normalization of diplomatic ties or a full embassy for the Palestinian Authority’s delegation in Ottawa.
She says that normalization is a process that will take place at Canada’s discretion, while formal recognition is a first step.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2025.
