Background

Madame Louise Fréchette is a Distinguished Fellow at CIGI where she chairs a project on Nuclear energy and the challenges of global governance. She was a member of the IAEA’s Commission of Eminent Persons on nuclear energy challenges and the future of the IAEA which produced its report in May 2008. In September 2008, she was made a member of the Advisory Board to the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament established by the governments of Australia and Japan.

Mme. Fréchette is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre and serves on the board of several other organizations in Canada and in the United States. From 1998 to 2006, Mme. Fréchette was Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. The first incumbent of the post, she assisted Secretary-General Kofi Annan in the full range of his responsibilities. Prior to this, Mme. Fréchette pursued a career in the Public Service of Canada, serving notably as Ambassador to Argentina and Uruguay (1985-1988), Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1992-1994), Associate Deputy Minister of Finance (1995) and Deputy Minister of National Defence (1995-1998).

Madame Fréchette is an Officer of the Order of Canada.