Conference Speakers
Allan Rock
Former Canadian Ambassador to the UN
Allan Rock, Q.C. has had broad experience in law, government and diplomacy.
During his 20 years as a lawyer in Toronto, he carried on a varied litigation practice and appeared frequently before courts of all levels and tribunals of all kinds. He was generally regarded as one of Canada’s leading advocates. In 1988, he was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He served as the Head of the Litigation Section in the Ontario Bar Admission Course, where he taught for 15 years. He was also active in the governance of the legal profession, and was elected by his peers to serve as head of Ontario’s law society.
Allan Rock was first elected to Canada’s Parliament in 1993, to represent a Toronto constituency. During his 10 years in Parliament, he held a number of senior portfolios in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.
From 1993 to 1997, he served as Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General. In that capacity, he strengthened the criminal justice system, introduced strict gun control, targeted hate-motivated crimes, broadened Canada’s human rights laws and adopted many measures aimed at reducing violence against women.
From 1997 to 2002, Allan Rock served as Canada’s Minister of Health. He worked with provincial partners to modernize Canadian medicare in order to improve access to care and quality of service. He delivered significant increases in federal funding intended to shorten waiting lists and renew medical equipment and facilities. He brought down tobacco use through aggressive measures, and encouraged a focus on health promotion. He made a priority of early intervention for children at risk. He introduced legislation to create the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and more than doubled the annual federal investment in health research.
Allan Rock served from January 2002 to December 2003 as Minister of Industry and Minister of Infrastructure, with broad responsibility for Canada’s economic growth and development. During his tenure, Canada adopted a new national innovation strategy, aimed at increasing productivity and sustaining growth through the present decade. As part of the national effort to increase Canada’s competitive position, the Chrétien Government made significant investments in public infrastructure, and as the Minister responsible, Allan Rock worked with provincial and municipal partners to select key infrastructure projects across Canada.
On December 12, 2003, Allan Rock was appointed by Prime Minister Paul Martin as Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations. He led the Canadian effort at the UN to secure the adoption by world leaders at their 2005 Summit of the Canadian-inspired principle of the Responsibility to Protect populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity. He made a priority of human rights issues in the developing world, and especially in Africa. He led a coalition of like-minded in efforts to end the conflict in Northern Uganda. He chaired a Working Group on Haiti. He participated in the negotiation of the Darfur Peace Agreement in Abuja. He was a founding member of the Board of Security Council Report, an innovative publication that provides information and commentary about the Security Council’s work.
Allan Rock returned to the practice of law in Ontario in July, 2006, joining the firm Sutts Strosberg, with offices in Windsor and Toronto. His practice is devoted to all forms of litigation, with an emphasis on class proceedings, corporate and commercial disputes and public law issues. He is also available to serve as a mediator and arbitrator in the resolution of disputes.
He remains involved in international and UN work, serving at present as Special Advisor on Sri Lanka to the UN on the subject of Children and Armed Conflict, as well as Chair of the Board of the Trust Fund for War-Affected Children in Northern Uganda. He is also a member of the Security Council Report’s International Advisory Group.
Allan Rock was born August 30, 1947 and is married to Deborah Hanscom. They have four children.