By Ayman Okeil
When I heard the speech by Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, in Davos, I recalled the sessions of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, as well as the statements in which my colleagues and I at Maat warned against the selectivity in applying international law, the double standards, and the politicization of the council in particular, and the United Nations institutions in general. Mark Carney did not mention things we didn’t already know; on the contrary, there is much more than what he said. However, the significant popularity of his speech is because, for the first time, a Western official boldly spoke the truth about the current state of the international system. Moreover, Carney’s speech presents an alternative that, if realized, could tip the scales and change the balance of power.
On December 5, 2023, I wrote an article titled “Is the West Risking the Collapse of International Humanitarian Law,” against the backdrop of the crimes being committed by the Israeli occupation authority in Gaza. I clearly stated that international humanitarian law tells us that since wars will inevitably occur, we can mitigate the damage caused by these wars by protecting civilians and ensuring they are not the target of military actions, in accordance with the principles of proportionality and necessity. Adhering to these principles is no longer a luxury but has become a necessity for Western countries before any other geographic bloc, as these laws were originally established after wars in which the West was a victim. This was a declaration of position and a silent scream for what we anticipated and warned against, as the truths were starkly laid bare before us without any shame.
I recalled the famous phrase iterated by the talented artist Imad Hamdi in the film “Nile Gossip,” a masterpiece by Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, which is: “The farmer is dead, and we must surrender ourselves.” I imagined this phrase as I listened to the speech of Prime Minister Mark Carney, as if he were saying: “The international system has collapsed, and we must surrender ourselves.”
Carney implied the same thing; we must be honest if we want any reform or improvement in societies that respect diversity and human rights, and refuse to let oppression partner with acts of colonial power. I remembered the words of the Egyptian poet: “The oppressors have exceeded the limits,” and I imagined Carney, the banker who headed the Bank of Canada, the competent banking expert, telling us: “Colonial power has exceeded its limits,” years after the poem was recited by the late Egyptian poet Ali Mohamed Taha.
To the extent that Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, revealed the falsehood of Western principles in its dealings with the rules-based international system, at its core, international law, to the same extent, it brings us face to face with the reality that the international system and its institutions created by the West itself are at risk of collapse. Saving it is not easy, but finding an alternative has become important, which is what Mark Carney referred to as a third path based on respecting values, human rights, and sustainable development. Carney considered in his speech that this would be better and fairer.
Carney based his speech on the premise that the powerful do what they can while the weak are forced to endure what is imposed upon them. This system, established by the West and operating within its orbit, primarily serves its interests without regard for the interests of the weaker powers that have accepted these rules. Carney criticized the use of tariffs as a means of pressuring states, referring to the United States, even though he did not explicitly mention it in his speech. There was a response from Trump himself when he withdrew the invitation, he sent to Canada to join the Peace Council, leaving Canada outside the council, along with several European nations (except Hungary and Bulgaria to this date). European leaders are aware that joining the council would undoubtedly legitimize Trump’s system, which takes them back centuries, where power creates rights, and colonial powers’ invasion of lands becomes something legitimate. Mark Carney gave sincere advice to the middle powers: “You cannot live within a lie,” and explicitly called on these countries to act together using the quote he referenced in his speech: “If we are not at the table, we are on the menu.”
The bomb that Mark Carney dropped in everyone’s face in Davos contained not only gunpowder and shrapnel but also hope. The Canadian Prime Minister proposed a third path, led by countries that reject hegemony, which is based on values, respect for human rights, sustainable development, politics, solidarity, and independence. The ability of European and Western countries to shake off their dependence on America and translate words into actions is a difficult bet, but if achieved, it will tip the scales and change the balance of power in the world, and this might force Trump himself to retract his ideas, as he does not respect a weak opponent in any case.
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