Member of the Order of Canada
Awarded on: 2022-05-19
Invested on: 2023-10-26
Paul Earl Heinbecker, C.M.
Ottawa, Ontario
Paul Heinbecker, a paragon of Canadian diplomacy, was a key architect of Canada’s human security agenda, which put people at the heart of international relations. As Canada’s ambassador to the UN, he led diplomatic efforts against the Iraq War of 2003, and counselled against Canadian participation. Earlier, he was Canada’s chief negotiator of the Kyoto Protocol to the International Climate Change Convention. In retirement, he co-founded the World Refugee and Migration Council to respond to the global refugee crisis.