Past Presidents

Rémy M. Beauregard led a distinguished career in the promotion and protection of human rights in Canada and internationally. Among his many accomplishments, he served as the Executive Director of the Ontario Human Rights Commission and worked with United Nations agencies and civil society organizations for the establishment of national human rights institutions in numerous developing countries.

At the time of his appointment, Janice Stein, then Chairperson of Rights & Democracy's Board of Directors, said “The Board of Directors and staff look forward to benefiting from his extensive experience in managing and strengthening human rights agencies in Canada and overseas.” Ms. Stein also welcomed the fact that Mr. Beauregard had worked in a number of Rights & Democracy's priority countries and with a number of its institutional partners.

The President of Rights & Democracy is an Order-in-Council appointment of the Government of Canada. Mr. Beauregard began his five year term on July 7, 2008.

M. Beauregard earned a Bachelors in History from the University of Ottawa and an MA in Public Administration from the École nationale d'administration publique. He held senior positions in the Ontario public service between 1986 and 2001, including seven years as Executive Director of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, a position he held until his retirement from the Ontario public service. He also established the permanent secretariat of the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies and became its first executive secretary.

At the international level, Mr. Beauregard worked as an adviser on governance and public service. He advised the Legal and Constitutional Commission of Rwanda in its planning for the 2003 referendum on Rwanda's new constitution. He also provided advice on the development of legislation for a national human rights institution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. From 2003 to 2006, he was International Institutional Development Advisor to the Uganda Human Rights Commission. In 2005, Mr. Beauregard developed the Policies and Procedures Manual of Trinidad and Tobago's Integrity Commission. He worked with War Child Canada in 2006 to implement and manage the Northern Uganda Legal Defence Project for children affected by conflict. In 2007, he provided public ethics training to officials of the provinces of Beijing and Hebei.

M. Beauregard also served as Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Sudbury's Laurentian University.

Rémy M. Beauregard passed away on Jan. 8, 2010.

 

The staff deeply saddened by the death of their President

The entire staff at Rights & Democracy is deeply saddened by the sudden death of their President, Rémy M. Beauregard.

Mr. Beauregard's death is a terrible loss for Rights & Democracy and its international partners, in whose work he took a keen and active interest. Appointed by the Government of Canada, Mr. Beauregard began his five year term as President on July 7...»

 

Expressions of sympathy

The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement on the death of Rémy M. Beauregard, President of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights & Democracy).

“I was deeply saddened to learn of Mr. Beauregard's passing. Canada and the world have lost a remarkable Canadian whose accomplishments in the protection and promotion of human rights spanned the globe. He was a tireless human rights advocate who will always deserve recognition and respect for his work and commitment to promoting human rights and democratic governance in Canada and internationally.

“Among his many accomplishments, he served as the Executive Director of the Ontario Human Rights Commission and worked with United Nations agencies and civil society organizations for the establishment of national human rights institutions in numerous developing countries. He also assisted with the creation of the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies and served as its first Executive Secretary. Mr. Beauregard's commitment to human rights took him to remote northern Uganda, where he worked with War Child Canada to help children affected by conflict. With his wife by his side and at an age where many choose retirement, he decided to assist directly in human rights field work.

“On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to Mr. Beauregard's wife Suzanne and his family on the loss of their loved one.”

 

Statement by New Democrat Foreign Affairs Critic Paul Dewar on the passing of Rémy M. Beauregard

Jean-Paul Hubert was interim president of Rights and Democracy (International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development) from November 2007 to July 2008.

A career diplomat, he served for 35 years with Canada’s Department of External Affairs and International Trade. Appointed ambassador in 1988 in Dakar (Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea-Conakry, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde and the Gambia), he became in 1990 Canada’s first Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, and was president of its Permanent Council in 1992. Senior Departmental Advisor for the Commonwealth, Francophonie  and Hemispheric Affairs in 1993-1994, he was then appointed ambassador, successively, on Brussels (Belgium and Luxembourg), Buenos-Aires (Argentina and Paraguay), and Bern (Switzerland and  Liechtenstein) from where he also was Canada’s Permanent Observer to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. While serving in Senegal and Belgium he was the Personal Representative of the Prime minister of Canada for the Francophonie Summits.  

Since 2004 he has held a seat as an elected member of the Inter-American Juridical Committee of the OAS, and at the time of his nomination to Rights and Democracy he was associate professor at the School of Applied Politics of Sherbrooke University.

Mr Hubert holds diplomas from the universities of Paris (Doctorate, Pol. Sc), Columbia (Master’s in Intl Aff.), McGill (Law) and Laval, and a Doctorate honoris causa (Intnl Reltns) from Moncton University.  

 

Jean-Louis Roy was appointed President of Rights & Democracy in June, 2002, and took up his post two months later, on Aug. 19.

A former Director of the Montreal daily Le Devoir, Mr. Roy was Secretary General of the Agence de la Francophonie in Paris from 1990 to 1998. He was responsible for promoting cooperation between the 49 member states of the Francophonie and for the implementation of political, economic and social programmes agreed upon at summit meetings of Heads of State and Governments.

Since then Mr. Roy has served in an advisory capacity on related issues and was a visiting professor at York University, in Ontario and at the University of Moncton in New Brunswick. He was Chancellor of the University of Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia from 2001 to 2006. In 2007, the Quebec National Assembly bestowed Jean-Louis Roy with the honour of the Ordre des francophones d’Amérique.

He holds a PhD in history from McGill University where he was Director of the Centre for French Canadian Studies from 1971 to 1981. He was Director of Le Devoir from 1981 to 1986 until he was named Québec Delegate General in Paris and Delegate to Francophone Multilateral Affairs, a post he held until 1990.

President of the Ligue des droits et libertés du Québec (Quebec's Civil Liberties' Union) from 1976 to 1978, he was a member of the Commission des droits et libertés de la personne du Québec (Québec's Human Rights Commission) and in 2000, was awarded the Prix Droits et Libertés (Human Rights Prize) of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse du Québec (Québec Human Rights and Rights of Youth Commission).

Mr. Roy has written several books including: A Guide to the European Economic Community Charter; La Francophonie : Le Projet communautaire and Une Nouvelle Afrique à l'aube du XX1e siècle. He has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Sainte Anne in 1985, and an Honorary Doctorate in Law from the University of Moncton in 1992.

 

Hon. Warren Allmand, P.C., O.C., Q.C.

1997-2002

Warren Allmand was appointed President of Rights & Democracy in February 1997 following a 33-year career as a Liberal Member of Parliament for the Montreal riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. A lawyer, admitted to the Québec Bar in 1958, he holds degrees from St. Francis Xavier University (Antigonish, N.S.); McGill University (Montreal) and a certificate of Comparative Law from Université de Paris and the Institute of Comparative Law. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in January 1977 and was named a member of the Order of Canada in July 2000.

Mr. Allmand has held a number of cabinet posts, Solicitor General (1972-76) Minister of Indians Affairs and Northern Affairs (1976-78) and Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs (1978-79). Throughout his parliamentary career he has worked against apartheid in South Africa and for the abolition of the death penalty, tougher gun control legislation, arms control and disarmament and the protection of human rights of disabled persons, native Canadians, the poor, the elderly, the unemployed, prison inmates, and minority groups.

He was International President of Parliamentarians for Global Action, a member of Parliamentarians for East Timor, Parliamentary Friends of Tibet and a member of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. He remains active in a number of local community-based organizations in Montreal.

Mr. Allmand has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law - St. Thomas University, Fredericton, N.B. (1998), an Honorary Doctorate of Law - St. Francis Xavier University (1996) and has won the World Peace Award, World Federalists of Canada (1990).

 

The Hon. Ed Broadbent, P.C, C.C.

1990-1996

Ed Broadbent was appointed President of the newly created International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development in 1990, a position he held until 1996.

Mr. Broadbent  was leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada from 1975 to 1989 when he represented the riding of Oshawa. In his final speech in Parliament, in December 1989, he moved a motion, unanimously adopted, which committed the government of Canada to end child poverty in the country by the year 2000.

Mr. Broadbent obtained an M.A. in philosophy at the University of Toronto, in 1959 and his doctorate in political science from the University of Toronto in 1965. He taught at York University for three years before being elected to parliament in 1968.  In 1996, he was a Visiting Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford University. This was followed by a visiting fellowship at the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs, Carleton University and a visiting professorship in the department of Political Science at McGill University in Montreal. He is currently a fellow at the School of Policy Studies, Queen's University.