Canada's university -> Portrait -> Louise Fréchette: A Question of Equality
The only Canadian on Forbes magazine’s list of the “100 most powerful women in the world” in 2005, Louise Fréchette is not at all out of place among Nobel prize winners, heads of state and CEOs of multinational corporations.
After studying history and economics in Montreal and Belgium, she entered the Canadian diplomatic service in 1971. Her career led her to Greece, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Argentina.
A citizen of the world, Louise Fréchette is also a pioneer. She quickly climbed the ranks of a still male-dominated universe, rising to positions as ambassador and deputy minister. In 1992 she became one of the few female ambassadors at the United Nations. She returned to New York in 1998 to become the first-ever Deupty Secretary General of the United Nations.
Although she has lived in New York for seven years, Louise Fréchette maintains her contacts and friendships in Canada’s capital. Last year, she delivered an address before a packed house to mark the inauguration of the School of Political Studies of the University of Ottawa. It was one year later—to the day!—that Louise Fréchette returned to the University of Ottawa to receive the Award of Merit for Leadership in Canada.
She granted us an interview just prior to the UN World Summit.
Canada’s experience prepares it particularly well for maintaining relationships with the world at large. It has a long history of action at the international level and the ability to carry it out. It is highly developed and has extensive experience in developing and maintaining peace. It is also a multiethnic country with an exceptional level of diversity.
I’m not sure that there is a female foreign policy. My position on various issues is influenced by the fact that I am a Canadian woman, that I come from a family of women, and by my personal circumstances…
Clearly, women rank some of their concerns differently in terms of priorities. On education, social services and child care, women have a great deal to offer. Women must also be political and economic actors, because the societies that are progressing the fastest are those that are making a place for all their members. When you ignore half of a society’s intelligence, it is not surprising that development is not as complete as it should be.
And we don’t claim “our place at the table” on the grounds of the difference we will make or the good we can do. It is a question of equality, pure and simple.
A very sad incident that affected me personally was the explosion in Bagdad that took the lives of 15 of my colleagues, including some people I knew very well. [In 2003, an attack on UN headquarters in Iraq killed 22 people.] It was very painful for me, and it was extremely traumatic for the organization.
At the other extreme, the Millennium Summit [held in 2000 with more 150 heads of state in attendance] was much more encouraging. The 2000 meeting took place at a time of relative calm in international affairs, and I felt a heightened sense of optimism in the room.
The UN can help the poorest countries to assume their security responsibilities. It is also a key partner in protecting human rights, promoting development, improving living conditions, and guaranteeing freedoms. We cannot ignore such issues if we want to win the war on terrorism.
It is important for the UN to be able to adapt to change. One of the major tests for the UN was adapting to the end of the cold war. It had to invent new modes of intervention, which was very challenging.
If the United Nations becomes paralysed by political dissension between its members, if its bureaucracy is not sufficiently effective and agile, its member countries will abandon it for something else. But if past events are any indication, I have no doubt that the UN will rise to the challenge.