Ottawa derailed Arbour – Relations between Canada’s conservative government and Louise Arbour, a former Canadian Supreme Court Justice, are said to be the reason the High Commissioner decided not to remain in her post for a second term
21 March 08 – The absence of support from the highest levels of the government of Prime Minister Steven Harper torpedoed the chances of for Louise Arbour to get the nod for a second term as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, diplomatic sources said.
Although Arbour stated that she “was not quitting because of this pressure”, diplomatic sources said the Harper government was not pleased with Arbour’s criticism of the US treatment of detainees in the war on terror or her open criticism of abuses by Canada and US allies such as Israel.
Last August, Arbour submitted a brief in a US Supreme Court case on the status of Guantanamo detainees which according to western sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, “really pissed-off” the Bush administration. “She did not win any hearts by that action,” said a senior official close to Washington.
On March 7, Arbour repeated the need “for respecting human rights, as well as greater transparency and accountability, when countering terrorism.”
The sources also said that UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon and the High Commissioner were not on the same wave-length as was the case with former Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.
When Arbour told the Council on March 7 that she would not seek a second term after her mandate expired at the end of June, she did not explain why she was stepping down.
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