Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney argued that President Donald Trump’s actions have torn apart the so-called global order, urging medium-sized nations to push forward with new tactics to ensure a world without U.S. dominance. Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Carney—a former WEF board member—declared there is “a rupture in the world order,” adding that America operates “submitted to no limits, no constraints.”
To counter Trump’s disruption of international structures, Carney asserted that nations must collaborate to build a new order rooted in “respect for human rights, sustainable development, [and] solidarity.” He criticized the U.S.-led system as increasingly unstable, noting that trade rules were enforced asymmetrically and international law applied unevenly based on the identity of those involved. “We participated in the rituals,” Carney said, “and we largely avoided calling out the gaps between rhetoric and reality.”
Carney acknowledged that the once-predictable rules-based order, which Canada benefited from for decades, has grown increasingly fictional. He warned that a world of “fortresses” where nations act unilaterally would lead to chaos and undermine global goals like the Sustainable Development Goals. The former WEF board member also noted that nationalist leaders—including Donald Trump in the U.S., Javier Milei in Argentina, and Viktor Orbán in Hungary—pose significant threats to the forum’s agenda.
Just weeks before the Davos summit, Trump signaled a major shift by withdrawing the U.S. from 66 global organizations, including climate agreements under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick echoed these moves during a panel, stating that globalization has “failed the West” and that America First represents a viable alternative focused on American workers.
Carney and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, co-chair of the WEF’s interim leadership, admitted that global elites face eroding public trust after pandemic mismanagement. Fink stressed that the forum must regain credibility by aligning with current political trends. Carney concluded that progress remains “incremental,” emphasizing the need to uphold the UN Charter and sustainable development goals despite shifting geopolitical dynamics.