Carolyn McAskie OC (born 15 December 1946[citation needed]) is a Canadian diplomat and former assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping at the United Nations. She was the head of the United Nations mission to Burundi (ONUB) in 2004, making her the first Canadian[citation needed] to lead a United Nations peacekeeping mission following the UN's switch to complex missions.
Carolyn McAskie | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 15 December 1946 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Diplomat |
| Years active | 1975- |
Biography
McAskie was born in Glasgow, Scotland. She entered the Canadian Civil Service in 1968.[1]
From 1975–1980, McAskie served as Assistant Director of Finance and Personnel at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.[1]
Her first major role with the government of Canada was as Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives in 1983.[2] In 1985, she participated in the World Conference on Women. In 1993, McAskie began working at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).[3] She served as Vice-President for African and the Middle Eastern programs, as well as Vice-President for CIDA's multilateral programs.[4]
As of 2018, McAskie is a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.[5] She was also a director for CANADEM,[4] and a director of Pearson Peacekeeping Centre.[6]
United Nations
McAskie has been a part of multiple delegations to the United Nations. She was appointed deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in 1999.[4] She replaced Sérgio Vieira de Mello and became the interim Emergency Relief Coordinator from 1999–2004 due to De Mello's mission in Timor-Leste.[7] She has assisted in several relief efforts in Africa over her term.[8] As coordinator, she visited Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Kenya on 10 July 2000, to examine the effects of the drought and to organize relief efforts.[9][10] McAskie visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2003 to assess renewed fighting in Ituri.[11]
From 2004 to April 2006, McAskie was the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the United Nations mission (ONUB) to Burundi, and led ceasefire talks in the Burundian Civil War.[12][13] She was the first Canadian to lead a UN peacekeeping mission following the United Nations' switch to complex missions.[14]
On 16 May 2006, McAskie was named assistant secretary-general for peacebuilding support.[15]
Awards
In April 2005, McAskie received an honorary degree from the University of British Columbia.[16]
On 3 May 2007, McAskie was awarded with the Order of Canada for her efforts in peacekeeping and international diplomacy.[17]