The Simons Foundation Award presented to The Hon. Louise Arbour

The Simons Foundation Award for Distinguished Global Leadership in the Service of Peace and Disarmament was presented to The Hon. Louise Arbour, C.C., G.O.Q., by Dr. Jennifer Allen Simons, President of The Simons Foundation at a dinner in Vancouver on March 19, 2015.  This Award is periodically presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in shaping a more peaceful and just world.

This Simons Foundation Award is presented to The Hon. Louise Arbour for many reasons but specifically for her contributions as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and as Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda.  She has played an important leadership role in shaping both institutions. 

We can think of no better recipient for this Award than Madame Louise Arbour who has been described as “one of the most influential legal minds in both Canada and abroad.”  This pre-eminent Canadian and internationally acclaimed Jurist, embodies the  noblest of  ideals for  humankind. Not only this, she is not merely content to hold these ideals, but rather she actively engages  in order to ground them in reality.  Continue reading...