SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS LOUISE FR+CHETTE OF CANADA AS DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL

17 March 1999

Press Release
SG/A/660/Rev.1*
BIO/3124/Rev.1*

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS LOUISE FRÉCHETTE OF CANADA AS DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL

19990317 Biographical Note Former Permanent Representative to United Nations Becomes First Person To Hold Newly Established Post

On 12 January 1998, Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced the appointment of Louise Fréchette of Canada as his Deputy Secretary-General, the first person to hold the post since it was established by the General Assembly in December 1997. Ms. Fréchette assumed her new duties on 2 March 1998.

Ms. Fréchette was Canada's Deputy Minister of National Defence since June 1995. Prior to that, from November 1994, she was Associate Deputy Minister in her country's Department of Finance. She had also served, from January 1992, as Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

Beginning her career in March 1971 at the Western European Division of Canada's Department of External Affairs, she moved to the Department's Personnel Division in January 1972. After serving in her country's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in 1972, she served as Second Secretary at the Canadian Embassy at Athens from 1973 to 1975.

From 1975 to 1977, Ms. Fréchette served at the Western European Division of the Department of External Affairs. From 1978 to 1982, she served as First Secretary at her Government's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva. During that period, she participated in a session of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) in Madrid from November 1980 to July 1981.

After serving as Deputy Director of the European Affairs Division of the Department of External Affairs from January to May 1982, Ms. Fréchette was Deputy Director of the Department's Trade Policy Division from July 1982 to

* Reissued to update information.

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August 1983. From 1983 to 1985, she was Director of the Department's European Summit Countries Division. Between June 1985 and September 1988, she served as Canada's Ambassador to Argentina with concurrent accreditation to Uruguay and Paraguay.

Ms. Fréchette became Assistant Deputy Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean in the Department of External Affairs and International Trade in October 1988. In that capacity, she directed a review of Canada's relations with the region, which led to Canada's entry into the Organization of American States (OAS). In January 1991, she became Assistant Deputy Minister for Economic Policy and Trade Competitiveness.

Ms. Fréchette received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1966 from College Basile Moreau. She earned a licence es lettres degree in history from the University of Montreal in 1970 and a post-graduate diploma in economic studies from the College of Europe at Bruges, Belgium, in 1978. In 1993, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Saint Mary's University in Halifax. In 1998, she was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada.

Born in Montreal on 16 July 1946, Ms. Fréchette is single.

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