Will Carney’s Davos Speech Help Build a Better International Order? @QuincyInst

Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos made headlines for its willingness to call out the growing appetites of all great powers, including the United States. But it was also noteworthy for its admission that Western countries have been selective in their enforcement of the “rules-based international order.”

Going forward, Carney promises that we will see more “variable geometry” — differing coalitions on different sets of issues. If this leads to a reduction of megaphone diplomacy, then it may be highly welcome. But if it redirects governments’ energies away from reforming multilateral institutions to meet the needs of a post-unipolar world, then it may accelerate the fragmentation of international law and what remains of the inclusive postwar international order.

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Will Carney’s Davos Speech Help Build a Better International Order?

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