Louise Fréchette

Louise Fréchette, OC (born July 16, 1946) is a Canadian diplomat and public servant who served for eight years as United Nations Deputy Secretary-General. She also served a three-year term at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, an international relations and policy think-tank in Waterloo, Ontario, working on a major research project on nuclear energy and the world's security.

Louise Fréchette
OC
Louise Fréchette in May 2015
1st United Nations Deputy Secretary-General
In office
1 April 1997 – 1 April 2006
Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byMark Malloch-Brown
Canadian Ambassador
to the United Nations
In office
January 1992 – December 1994
Preceded byYves Fortier
Succeeded byRobert Fowler
Personal details
Born (1946-07-16) July 16, 1946
Montreal
NationalityCanadian
Alma materUniversité de Montréal
College of Europe

Early life and education

Born in Montreal, Fréchette graduated with a degree in history from the Université de Montréal in 1970 and from the College of Europe (Bruges) with a postgraduate Certificate of Advanced European Studies (equivalent to a master's degree) in 1978.

Career

Diplomatic career

Fréchette began her career in 1971 when she joined Canada's Department of External Affairs. She was posted to the Canadian embassy in Athens before joining Canada's UN delegation in Geneva in 1978.

In 1985, at the age of 39, Fréchette was named Canada's ambassador to Argentina. In 1989, she was sent on a secret mission to Cuba to lobby Fidel Castro to support the Gulf War. While unsuccessful, she impressed Ottawa with her efforts and was named Canada's ambassador to the United Nations in 1992.

In 1995, Fréchette left the foreign service to become assistant deputy minister of finance in Ottawa. She was later promoted to deputy minister of national defense, the first woman to hold that position.

Deputy Secretary General of the UN

In 1997, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan announced a series of reforms at the world body, including the creation of the position of deputy secretary-general to handle many of the administrative responsibilities which had previously been the responsibility of the secretary-general. Fréchette was offered the position and accepted and has been responsible for overseeing numerous reforms at the UN. While at the United Nations, Fréchette – working with her U.S. counterpart Madeleine K. Albright, among others – was pivotal in devising a peacekeeping operation for Haiti with the return from exile of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1994.[1]

In 2005, after being criticized by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker for failed management of the Iraq Oil-for-Food Program, Fréchette announced her resignation.

Later career

Fréchette is a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation and is a member of the International Advisory Board at the Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID) at McGill University. She was a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Commission of Eminent Persons on nuclear energy challenges which issued its report in April 2008.[2]

Other activities

Corporate boards
  • Essilor, Independent Member of the Board of Directors[3]
  • Shell Canada, Independent Member of the Board of Directors (2006-2007)

Non-profit organizations

Recognition

In 1998, Fréchette was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

References
  1. Barbara Crossette (January 13, 1998), French Canadian Is a U.N. Chief's First Right-Hand Woman New York Times.
  2. Louise Fréchette appointed to Advisory Board of International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND), press release of October 30, 2008.
  3. Board of Directors Essilor.
  4. Membership Archived 2019-03-06 at the Wayback Machine Global Leadership Foundation (GLF).
  5. Louise Fréchette appointed to Advisory Board of International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND), press release of October 30, 2008.
  6. Advisory Board Archived 2020-06-30 at the Wayback Machine Montreal Centre for International Studies.
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