Listen, good afternoon. Thank you for taking the time. Thanks for being here at an important time for the international system and the world by extension.
You know, one of the shared challenges today is that we have a multilateral system that, if it fails to reflect the realities of the time, won't stand the test of that time. But at the same time, the need for multilateral cooperation is very much alive.
You know, the post-war world is ending, but the underlying logic of that post-war world that justified multilateral cooperation is more compelling than ever. Climate emergency is intensifying, AI advancing faster than our capacity to control it, pandemics spreading across continents in weeks, financial shocks can disrupt markets and economies in hours, armed conflicts destabilizing entire regions forcing millions to flee from their homes, global checkpoints paralyzing supply chains.
And no country, no one country, no matter how powerful, can manage these challenges alone. Cooperation, therefore, is not an act of idealism. It is a practical necessity, and the question is not whether multilateralism can survive, but how it must evolve to meet the challenges of the moment.
So this is, in many respects, a time that comes once or twice every century. A moment in which our collective prosperity is defined by what we choose to build and how we build it.
So what comes ahead, it's not wishful multilateralism which defends only the status quo, nor a cold realpolitik that dismantles the status quo altogether. And the alternative that Canada and many others are pursuing is values-based realism, an approach that's both principled and pragmatic.
Principled in the commitment to the fundamental values of freedom, of human rights, human dignity, sustainability, solidarity. Pragmatic in recognizing that not every partner will share all of those values.
Put simply, we're in a position where we need to pursue calibrated alliances. Integrating deeply with those countries who share our values. Remaining open-eyed with those who do not. It means actively taking on the world as it is, not passively waiting for a world we wish to be. It means engaging with the reality that progress can sometimes be incremental, and that interests often diverge. It requires focusing our efforts to work together where and with those where we are aligned, and where we can make the greatest impact.
Progress can be signaled through monologue, only achieved through dialogue and action. And we're demonstrating aspects of this focus this week at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
Le Canada croit à la coopération. Dans un monde fragmenté, la coopération n'est pas un idéal. C'est une nécessité. À Strasbourg, j'ai présenté les arguments du Canada en faveur d'une alliance pour l'avenir avec l'Union européenne. Une alliance suffisamment ouverte pour que d'autres puissent s'y joindre. Notre objectif n'est pas l'autosuffisance. C'est la résilience collective. C'est dans ce même esprit que nous avons lancé la coopération.
Effective international action doesn't require unanimity. States with common interests can advance shared priorities which others can join as the value becomes more evident. Success breeds success, just as virtue begets virtue.
This evening, alongside the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, the President of France, and the Secretary General, I will co-host a meeting on the two-state solution and the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2803 in Gaza.
Immense human suffering continues. Next door, Israelis continue to live with existential threats from Hamas and from Iran and its proxies. A long-held international consensus for a two-state solution, a consensus held by every one of my predecessors since the formation of this organization, that long-held consensus will mean nothing if these conditions continue. And so Canada is doing what it can to help change the trajectory.
To that end, as one part, I'm announcing $100 million in international assistance for Palestine, 80 million of which is for humanitarian aid to alleviate immediate human suffering, and 20 million to support peace and security capacity building, including our leadership of police training in the West Bank.
Canada and our partners recognize the direct threat to peace posed by the Israeli government's endorsement of the E1 settlement scheme, and with reluctance, we have announced our intention to bring forward trade restrictions targeting goods produced in those illegal Israeli settlements. This is a pragmatic, practical action that works towards the preservation of the possibility of a two-state solution, and ultimately a durable peace for Israelis and Palestinians.
Le Canada croit au développement durable. Et c'est que nous avons la responsabilité de protéger notre patrimoine commun. À titre de co-président de l'Alliance pour l'océan, je me suis joint à la présidente de la Commission européenne pour réunir nos partenaires autour d'une vision plus claire et commune des océans dont nous dépendons tous.
C'est essentiel pour rendre les mers plus sûres, pour assurer la durabilité de l'économie océanique et pour préserver la stabilité du climat. On ne peut pas protéger ce qu'on ne peut pas observer. C'est pourquoi le Canada investit 80 millions de dollars pour renforcer l'observation mondiale des océans. C'est aussi pourquoi nous venons de ratifier le traité sur la haute mer, qui protège les deux tiers de la planète.
L'an prochain, le Canada accueillera la Conférence des Nations Unies sur les océans, qui réunira les gouvernements, les dirigeants autochtones, les scientifiques et les communautés côtières autour d'un même objectif : passer de l'ambition à l'action pour protéger nos océans et en assurer la durabilité.
Partners are working with Canada because Canada is predictable, reliable, and principled in a world that's anything but. We're applying our principles in groups, sometimes small. The groups formed around problems rather than geography or size. This variable geometry, not as an alternative to multilateralism, but as an instrument of it. In short, building trust and proving what works with those who are ready to act now, then bringing it back to the multilateral system to be strengthened, to be broadened, and to be scaled.
The real choice is not between trying to preserve an international order established after the Second World War or abandoning it. As the sixth largest donor to the UN and a values-based realist, Canada will continue to work in all fora to advance and to deliver for our citizens the dignity, peace, sustainability, and prosperity that they deserve.
