OTTAWA, March 14, 2016 /CNW/ - His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada and honorary patron of the United Nations Association in Canada (UNA-Canada), will present the 29th Pearson Peace Medal to the Honourable Louise Arbour during a ceremony at Rideau Hall, on Thursday, March 17, 2016, at 10 a.m.
The Honourable Louise Arbour is currently a jurist-in-residence providing strategic advice to lawyers of the International Trade and Arbitration Group. Madam Arbour sat as a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, on the Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Supreme Court of Ontario. She has held senior positions at the United Nations, including that of high commissioner for Human Rights, and is currently a member of the International Commission Against the Death Penalty and the Global Commission on Drug Policy. Most noteworthy among her numerous honorary doctorates and awards, she has been a Companion of the Order of Canada since 2007 and a Grand Officer of the Ordre national du Québec since 2009.
About the Pearson Peace Medal
The Pearson Peace Medal is awarded to a Canadian who has personally contributed, through his or her working life and voluntary commitments, to those causes to which Lester B. Pearson devoted his distinguished career: aid to the developing world; mediation between those confronting one another with arms; succour to refugees and others in need; equal rights and justice for all humanity; and peaceful change through world law and world organization.
A jury of eminent Canadians selects the recipient of this honour. The medal is awarded by UNA‑Canada, a registered charity founded in 1946, with a mandate to educate and engage Canadians in support of the United Nations and its critical issues, which have a global impact.
Media wishing to cover the event are asked to confirm their attendance with the Rideau Hall Press Office and must arrive at the Princess Anne Entrance no later than 9:45 a.m. on the day of the event.
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SOURCE Governor General of Canada
Media information: Josephine Laframboise, Rideau Hall Press Office, 613-990-9324, 613-668-1929 (cell), [email protected]; Joan Broughton, UNA-Canada, 613-232-5751, ext. 230, [email protected]
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