Canada's speech in Davos signals "break" in world order and new challenge to great power dominance - Rezazade

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, said there was a radical shift in the global order - a "break" in the world order, one that is no longer based on rules but on competition and coercion by powerful states.

Carney stressed that the old "rules-based order" no longer works: great powers increasingly advance their interests through tariff wars, economic pressure and control of supply chains, rather than through diplomatic mechanisms. According to him, the current situation is not just a transitional stage, but a break that requires new thinking and new models of cooperation.

International expert and first vice president of the Iranian opposition in Washington, Ali Reza Rezazade, notes in his commentary that this speech is an important signal for the middle power countries and the whole world:

“Carney directly pointed out that the institutions that have been the basis of international cooperation for decades are losing their strength. This is a reaction to the behavior of powerful states, which are increasingly replacing the rules of the global game with their own economic interests. This is not just criticism — it is a call to rethink international relations,” Rezazade notes.

According to the expert, the main message of Carney’s speech is the need to unite the middle power countries around new values: respect for sovereignty, human rights, and collective standards that go beyond the traditional dominance of great powers.

Rezazade emphasizes that the current geopolitical reality is shaped not only by military competition, but also by economic leverage, which is increasingly used as a tool of pressure: “Economic integration is becoming a weapon, not a guarantee of mutual benefit. This is a fundamental change that requires medium and small states to form their own strategic autonomy.”

The expert also points out that the speech in Davos is not only a statement by Canada, but also a broader call for cooperation among countries that do not have the status of a global leader: “If medium-sized states do not unite around new principles, they risk ending up “on the menu” rather than at the negotiating table.”

According to Rezazade, the world is at a crossroads: either countries will agree to a new architecture of international relations with clear rules and mutual guarantees, or they will come under pressure from those who are able to coerce their partners through economics, technology, and force.