EuropaWorld 16/3/200 Louise Fréchette: First United Nations Deputy Secretary-General

Louise Fréchette was born in Montreal, Canada on 16 July 1946. She received a Bachelor of Arts from College Basile Moreau in 1966 before gaining a further degree in history from the University of Montreal in 1970. Although always a diligent and ambitious student, perhaps even the young Louise would have been surprised at how far her capabilities would take her. In 1998, appointed to the newly created position of United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Fréchette found herself second in command of one of the most influential institutions in the world.

Ms. Fréchette began what was to become a varied, international career in 1971, in Canada's Department of External Affairs. She was part of her country's delegation to the UN General Assembly in 1972, and then served as Second Secretary at the Canadian Embassy in Athens until 1975. After resuming a position within the Department of External Affairs from 1975 to 1977, she returned to Europe in 1978 to serve as First Secretary at the Canadian Mission to the UN in Geneva. In the same year, thanks to a fluency in French, as well as English and Spanish, she gained a post-graduate diploma in economic studies at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium.

Returning to Canada's Department of External Affairs once more in 1982, she served first as Deputy Director of the Trade Policy Division and then, just one year later, as Director of the European Summit Division. She received her first ambassadorship in 1985, serving as Canada's ambassador to Argentina with concurrent accreditation to Uruguay and Paraguay. She was thirty nine years old.

Ms. Fréchette's career continued to blossom. She was appointed as Canada's Assistant Deputy Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean 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 Organisation of American States (OAS). In January 1991 she became Assistant Deputy Minister for Economic Policy and Trade Competitiveness. A year later she was appointed as Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, before returning to Canada to serve as Canada's Deputy Minister of National Defence in 1995.

Back in Canada, Ms Fréchette was no longer part of the United Nations system when the post of Deputy Secretary-General was established by the General Assembly at the end of 1997. Nevertheless her long record of accomplished service led to her nomination for this new position by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in January 1998. Ms. Fréchette assumed her new duties just two months later. In recognition of her contributions to both Canadian and international society, she was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada the same year.

The position of Deputy Secretary-General was created as part of the reform of the United Nations, to help manage Secretariat operations and to ensure the coherence of its activities and programmes. The purpose was also to elevate the UN's profile and leadership in the economic and social spheres. In addition to assisting the Secretary-General in the full range of his responsibilities therefore, Ms Fréchette also frequently represents the United Nations at conferences and official functions all over the world.