May 5, 2004 OTTAWA – On behalf of Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, His Excellency Claude Laverdure, Canadian Ambassador to France, will present the insignia of Honorary Companion of the Order of Canada to Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali during a ceremony at the Canadian Embassy in Paris on May 7, 2004, at 7 p.m. (local time). The appointment has been in effect as of May 8, 2003. Persons who are not Canadian citizens may be appointed to the Order as honorary members to recognize outstanding lifetime achievement and service to humanity at large and to Canada in various fields of human endeavour. The maximum number of honorary appointments per year is five. Today's announcement marks the ninth time since the creation of the Order of Canada that an honorary appointment has been made. Past honorary recipients include John Kenneth Galbraith, O.C.; James Hillier, O.C.; Charles Dutoit, O.C.; Nelson Mandela, C.C.; The Queen Mother, C.C.; Lois Lilienstein, C.M.; Tanya Moiseiwitsch, O.C. and Vaclav Havel, C.C. The following text is the official citation for Mr. Boutros-Ghali: Boutros Boutros-Ghali, C.C. Paris, France Honorary Companion of the Order of Canada Whether as a jurist, diplomat, scholar or director of international institutions, Boutros Boutros-Ghali has been unrelenting in his efforts to promote peace. As Secretary-General of the United Nations, he carried out a major modernization of the UN machinery. He has also proven to be a staunch defender of human rights and of a more democratic and humane approach to globalization. This man, for whom culture is the great school of peace, is also the first secretary-general of la Francophonie. In order to promote the vitality of la Francophonie, he strongly supported interlinguistic and intercultural dialogue. A backgrounder on the Order of Canada is attached. -30- Rideau Hall Press Office: Marilyne Guèvremont (613) 998-7280 Canadian Embassy in Paris: Normand Smith 011-33-1-44-43-22-55 Order of Canada Backgrounder The Order of Canada was established in 1967 to recognize outstanding achievement and service in various fields of human endeavour. It is our country's highest honour for lifetime achievement. Three different levels of membership—Companion, Officer and Member —honour people whose accomplishments vary in degree and scope. Appointments are made on the recommendation of an advisory council, chaired by the Chief Justice of Canada. The Governor General is the Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order. Membership in the Advisory Council reflects the diversity and excellence in Canadian society. Certain Advisory Council members are appointed by virtue of their office; others are appointed to the Council for a fixed term to achieve a balanced representation of the various regions of the country. The Council includes the following members: The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, P.C., Chief Justice of Canada (Chair) The Honourable Thomas R. Berger, O.C. (Victoria, B.C.) Mrs. Ruth Miriam Goldbloom, O.C. (Halifax, N.S.) Mr. Richard Francis Haskayne, O.C. (Batoche, Sask.) Mr. Alex Himelfarb, Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet Mr. Tom Jackson, O.C. (Gleichen, Alb.) Mrs. Judith A. LaRocque, C.V.O., Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage Dr. Peter MacKinnon, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada The Honourable Antonine Maillet, P.C., C.C., O.Q. (Montréal, Que.) Mr. Gilles Paquet, C.M., President, The Royal Society of Canada Ms. Nalini Stewart, Acting Chair, The Canada Council for the Arts Any group or individual is welcome to nominate deserving individuals as candidates for appointment. Any Canadian can be nominated for the Order of Canada. The only exceptions are federal and provincial politicians and judges, who cannot be appointed while holding office. Non-Canadians can be considered for honorary appointments.
