Gisele Cote-Harper

Gisèle Côté-Harper "graduated from Laval University (B.A.(és arts); LL.L.) and Harvard University (LL.M.).She is currently a Barrister and a Professor at the Faculty of Law, Université Laval, specializing in Criminal Law and Human Rights.

"From 1978 to 1993, Professor Côté-Harper was successively appointed as a member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, the Quebec Human Rights Commission and the RCMP Public Complaints Commission. She has also served as an independent expert on the U.N. Human Rights Committee.

"Gisèle Côté-Harper has acted as co-rapporteur on the creation of an international institute for the development of human rights and of democratic institutions. Following this report, she was, for six years, the Founding Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights and Democracy).She was later appointed to the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty.The Commission report entitled The Responsibility to Protect, was launched at the United Nations in December 2001. Professor Côté-Harper was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1987. In 1995, the United Nations Association of Canada recognized her contribution as a legal expert on national and international human rights issues by awarding her the Lester B. Pearson Medal. She was named Officer of the Order of Canada in 1997. In 1998, she was awarded the Quebec Bar Medal and, in 2002, the Golden Jubilee Medal. A distinguished author, Professor Côté-Harper now serves on the Board of Directors of the Centre for the Financial Services Ombudsnetwork (CFSON) and is also Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre as well as a member of the General Assembly of the Inter-American Institute for Human Rights."