Toronto 
Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed Louise Arbour as Canada’s 31st Governor General since Confederation.
Per the news release, Arbour brings a long and unusually wide-ranging legal career. Over more than five decades, she has served at nearly every level of Canada’s judiciary, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
Internationally, she took on one of the most high-profile legal roles of the 1990s, serving as Chief Prosecutor for United Nations tribunals focused on the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. During that time, her work led to the first genocide conviction under the Genocide Convention and the first war crimes indictment against a sitting head of state.
In 2004, she became the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and later, from 2017 to 2018, served as Special Representative for International Migration. More recently, her independent review into misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces pushed forward major reforms and culture changes.
Arbour’s list of honours is extensive, including Companion of the Order of Canada and nearly 100 awards, along with 42 honorary doctorates.
Mary Simon, who was appointed in July 2021 as Canada’s first Indigenous governor general, is now concluding her term.
