Davos 2026 Global Order Collapse: Mark Carney Declares the End of Rules-Based Norms

The illusion has finally cracked. At the January 21, 2026, World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a blunt eulogy for the global rules-based order. He didn't describe a mere transition, but a violent rupture in how nations interact.

Carney argued that the system's power relied on a collective performance—a willingness to act as if the rules were true. With that performance ending, particularly by the United States, the fiction has withered in the light of great power rivalry. The comfortable stability of the post-WWII era has been replaced by an era where might defines right.

The 'Board of Peace' and the Davos 2026 Global Order Collapse

US President Donald Trump solidified this shift during his address. He teased the "Board of Peace," a proposed successor to the United Nations, signaling his intent to bypass traditional multilateralism. Trump's recent actions, including a raid in Venezuela and his relentless pursuit of Greenland, have forced allies to reconsider their security dependencies.

Former NATO deputy commander Richard Shirreff described the US as having turned from an "ally" into a "predator." When Europe attempted a symbolic military presence in Greenland to counter US ambitions, Washington responded with fury and threats of crippling tariffs, demonstrating that traditional alliances no longer offer protection from American interests.

A System Exposed: Hypocrisy and the Global South

Critics point out that the "rules-based order" was often a selective convenience. While Western leaders express shock over Greenland, many in the Global South see this as the inevitable end of a hypocritical system. The war in Gaza, resulting in 71,550 deaths over two years, is cited as the ultimate failure of international law.

Human rights lawyer Geoffrey Nice noted that the US has long exempted itself from treaties like the International Criminal Court (ICC) when convenient. The current rupture is simply the moment where the rhetoric finally matches the reality of raw power politics. For smaller nations, the era of relying on rules is over; the era of navigating predator-state relations has begun.