Louise Arbour named Canada’s next Governor General

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Tuesday that King Charles III has approved the appointment of Louise Arbour as Canada’s next Governor General.

Arbour will serve as the King’s representative in Canada, becoming the country’s 31st Governor General since Confederation and the first to be appointed during the reign of Charles III.

A former Supreme Court justice and internationally respected human rights leader, Arbour brings more than five decades of legal and public service experience to the role. Over her career, she has served on the Supreme Court of Ontario, the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.

In 1996, Arbour was appointed chief prosecutor for United Nations tribunals addressing crimes in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. During her tenure, she oversaw landmark cases, including the first conviction for genocide under the Genocide Convention and the first indictment of a sitting head of state for war crimes.

She later served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and, from 2017 to 2018, as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for International Migration. More recently, Arbour authored a sweeping independent review into misconduct within the Canadian Armed Forces, prompting significant reforms.

Arbour is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a senior officer of Quebec’s national order, and has received dozens of honorary degrees and international awards.

Carney also thanked the outgoing Governor General, Mary Simon, for her service, highlighting her advocacy for Inuit rights, Indigenous self-determination and the preservation of Indigenous languages and culture.