Carney made reforms a factor in recognizing Palestine – here’s where they stand

In September 2025, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada was officially recognizing the State of Palestine. Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, Carney stated that this diplomatic recognition was directly predicated on the Palestinian Authority's commitment to implementing much-needed internal reforms.

The announcement tied Canada's foreign policy decision to specific governance benchmarks within the Palestinian Authority. According to Carney, receiving commitments for these reforms from Palestinian leadership was a necessary condition for Canada's official recognition of the state, placing institutional changes at the center of the diplomatic development.