The Right Honourable Louise Arbour is the 31st Governor General of Canada. A distinguished jurist, international human rights advocate, and global leader, she previously served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2004-2008) and Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (1999-2004).

 

From 1996 to 1999, Ms. Arbour was the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR), leading landmark prosecutions for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Earlier in her career, she served as a Judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal (1990–1996) and as Professor and Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School.

 

Following her UN tenure, she served as President & CEO of the International Crisis Group (2009–2014) and later as the UN Special Representative for International Migration (2017–2018). She has contributed to global policy through roles with the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the International Commission Against the Death Penalty, and other international advisory bodies.

 

Ms. Arbour has been widely recognized for her contributions to justice and human rights. She has received the Pearson Peace Medal, the United Nations Human Rights Prize, and more than forty honorary doctorates from universities around the world. She has received the Order of Canada and the Commander of the Legion d’Honneur from the Ordre national du Québec, among other national and international distinctions.