# Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations

The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations (French: Ambassadeur et Représentant permanent du Canada auprès des Nations unies), known unofficially as the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations (French: Ambassadeur du Canada aux Nations unies), is the Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations. The position was established in 1946 and is based at the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations, which is located at 466 Lexington Avenue (20th floor) in New York City.

## Permanent missions of Canada
### New York

The Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations in New York City, where the main headquarters of the United Nations is located, is responsible for the multilateral foreign policy priorities of Canada, facilitating Canada's interests in international development, peace, security and human rights.

### Geneva

The Permanent Mission of Canada to the World Trade Organization, the United Nations and the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva is the primary avenue for diplomatic relations between the Government of Canada and international organizations based in Geneva, Switzerland, mainly the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the Conference on Disarmament and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Canada's Permanent Representative to the UN and the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva is Ambassador Leslie E. Norton. Canada's Permanent Representative to the WTO is Ambassador Stephen de Boer. In addition to local personnel, the mission is composed of staff from various Canadian federal departments and agencies.

## List of permanent representatives

| Name | Start of term | End of term |
| General Andrew McNaughton | January 1948 | December 1949 |
| John Wendell Holmes | January 1950 | June 1950 |
| Robert Gerald Riddell | June 1950 | March 16, 1951 |
| David Moffat Johnson | November 1951 | August 1955 |
| Robert Alexander Mackay | August 1955 | November 1957 |
| Frank Exton Lennard | November 1957 | January 1958 |
| Charles S.A. Ritchie | January 1958 | February 1962 |
| Pierre Tremblay | July 1962 | June 1966 |
| George Ignatieff | July 1966 | February 1969 |
| Yvon Beaulne | February 1969 | June 1972 |
| Saul F. Rae | July 1972 | July 1976 |
| William H. Barton | August 1976 | April 1980 |
| Michel Dupuy | April 1980 | May 1981 |
| Gérard Pelletier | May 1981 | August 1984 |
| Stephen Lewis | 1984 | August 1988 |
| Yves Fortier | August 1988 | December 1991 |
| Louise Fréchette | January 1992 | December 1994 |
| Robert Fowler | January 1995 | August 2000 |
| Paul Heinbecker | August 2000 | January 2004 |
| Allan Rock | January 2004 | June 2006 |
| John McNee | July 2006 | July 2011 |
| Guillermo Rishchynski | August 2011 | January 2016 |
| Marc-André Blanchard | April 1, 2016 | July 31, 2020 |
| Bob Rae | August 1, 2020 | Incumbent |

## Chiefs of Delegation to the League of Nations

Prior to 1946, Canada sent representatives, called 'Chiefs of Delegation', to the League of Nations. On three occasions, the Chief of Delegation was the Prime Minister of Canada:
* 1928 – William Lyon Mackenzie King
* 1934 – Richard Bedford Bennett
* 1936 – William Lyon Mackenzie King