# Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs (French: Ministre des Affaires étrangères) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the Government of Canada's international relations and is the lead minister responsible for Global Affairs Canada, though the minister of international trade leads on trade issues. In addition to Global Affairs Canada, the minister is also the lead in overseeing the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development and the International Development Research Centre.
From 1909 to 1993, the office was called the Secretary of State for External Affairs. The first two secretaries of state for external affairs, from 1909 until 1912, (Charles Murphy under Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William James Roche under Sir Robert Borden) concurrently served as the Secretary of State for Canada. The two portfolios were permanently separated in 1912, and the external affairs portfolio was then held by the prime minister of Canada until 1946.
In 2025, the position gained responsibility for the international development portfolio, previously held by the Minister of International Development; consequently, the position is currently known as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development (French: Ministre des Affaires étrangères et du Développement international).

## History

Ministers holding the external affairs and foreign affairs portfolios have sometimes played prominent international roles:
* Lester B. Pearson (a future prime minister) defused the Suez Crisis and established the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces and as a result received the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize.
* Joe Clark (a former prime minister) led opposition to South Africa's Apartheid system within the Commonwealth of Nations, against initial resistance from the British government of Margaret Thatcher.
* Lloyd Axworthy brought about the Ottawa Treaty, banning anti-personnel landmines in most countries of the world.
As in Pearson's case (and that of Louis St. Laurent, his predecessor), the portfolio can be a final stepping stone to the Prime Minister's Office. Until 1946, it was customary for the office to be held by the sitting prime minister. John Diefenbaker would hold the portfolio on two subsequent occasions.

## Prior and subsequent diplomatic services

Lester Pearson is the only minister to have been a diplomat prior to their appointment. Pearson entered the Canadian foreign service in 1927 and rose to become Canadian ambassador to the United States from 1944 to 1946.
Paul Martin, Sr. served as Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom after his retirement from active politics. Following his defeat in the 2011 election, Lawrence Cannon has served as Canadian ambassador to France since 2012, while Stéphane Dion was named Canadian ambassador to the European Union and Germany immediately after leaving cabinet in 2017. Unlike Pearson, none were career diplomats.

## List of ministers

Key:
| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry |
| Secretary of State for External Affairs |||||||
| 1 | Charles Murphy | May 19, 1909 | October 6, 1911 | Liberal | 8 (Laurier) |
| 2 | William James Roche | October 10, 1911 | April 1, 1912 | Conservative (historical) | 9 (Borden) |
| 3 | Robert Borden | April 1, 1912 | October 11, 1917 | Conservative (historical) | 9 (Borden) |
| 3 | Robert Borden | October 12, 1917 | July 9, 1920 | Unionist | 10 (Borden) |
| 4 | Arthur Meighen 1st time | July 10, 1920 | December 29, 1921 | National Liberal and Conservative | 11 (Meighen) |
| 5 | William Lyon Mackenzie King 1st time | December 29, 1921 | June 28, 1926 | Liberal | 12 (King) |
| (4) | Arthur Meighen 2nd time | June 29, 1926 | September 25, 1926 | Conservative (historical) | 13 (Meighen) |
| (5) | William Lyon Mackenzie King 2nd time | September 25, 1926 | August 7, 1930 | Liberal | 14 (King) |
| 6 | Richard Bedford Bennett | August 7, 1930 | October 23, 1935 | Conservative (historical) | 15 (Bennett) |
| (5) | William Lyon Mackenzie King 3rd time | October 23, 1935 | September 3, 1946 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| 7 | Louis St. Laurent | September 4, 1946 | September 9, 1948 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| 8 | Lester B. Pearson | September 10, 1948 | November 15, 1948 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| 8 | Lester B. Pearson | November 15, 1948 | June 20, 1957 | Liberal | 17 (St. Laurent) |
| 9 | John Diefenbaker | June 21, 1957 | September 12, 1957 | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker) |
| 10 | Sidney Earle Smith | September 13, 1957 | March 17, 1959 | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker) |
| – | John Diefenbaker 2nd time; Acting Minister | March 19, 1959 | June 3, 1959 | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker) |
| 11 | Howard Charles Green | June 4, 1959 | April 21, 1963 | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker) |
| 12 | Paul Martin Sr. | April 22, 1963 | April 20, 1968 | Liberal | 19 (Pearson) |
| 13 | Mitchell Sharp | April 20, 1968 | August 7, 1974 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 14 | Allan MacEachen 1st time | August 8, 1974 | September 13, 1976 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 15 | Don Jamieson | September 14, 1976 | June 3, 1979 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 16 | Flora MacDonald | June 4, 1979 | March 2, 1980 | Progressive Conservative | 21 (Clark) |
| 17 | Mark MacGuigan | March 3, 1980 | September 9, 1982 | Liberal | 22 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| (14) | Allan MacEachen 2nd time | September 10, 1982 | June 29, 1984 | Liberal | 22 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 18 | Jean Chrétien | June 30, 1984 | September 16, 1984 | Liberal | 23 (Turner) |
| 19 | Joe Clark | September 17, 1984 | April 20, 1991 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| 20 | Barbara McDougall | April 21, 1991 | June 24, 1993 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| 21 | Perrin Beatty | June 25, 1993 | November 3, 1993 | Progressive Conservative | 25 (Campbell) |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs |||||||
| 1 | André Ouellet | November 4, 1993 | January 24, 1996 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 2 | Lloyd Axworthy | January 25, 1996 | October 16, 2000 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 3 | John Manley | October 17, 2000 | January 15, 2002 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 4 | Bill Graham | January 15, 2002 | December 11, 2003 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 4 | Bill Graham | December 12, 2003 | July 19, 2004 | Liberal | 27 (Martin) |
| 5 | Pierre Pettigrew | July 20, 2004 | February 5, 2006 | Liberal | 27 (Martin) |
| 6 | Peter MacKay | February 6, 2006 | August 14, 2007 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 7 | Maxime Bernier | August 14, 2007 | May 26, 2008 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 8 | David Emerson Acting Minister until June 25, 2008 | May 25, 2008 | October 29, 2008 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 9 | Lawrence Cannon | October 30, 2008 | May 18, 2011 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 10 | John Baird | May 18, 2011 | February 3, 2015 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| – | Ed Fast (acting) | February 3, 2015 | February 9, 2015 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 11 | Rob Nicholson | February 9, 2015 | November 4, 2015 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 12 | Stéphane Dion | November 4, 2015 | January 10, 2017 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 13 | Chrystia Freeland | January 10, 2017 | November 20, 2019 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 14 | François-Philippe Champagne | November 20, 2019 | January 12, 2021 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 15 | Marc Garneau | January 12, 2021 | October 26, 2021 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 16 | Mélanie Joly | October 26, 2021 | March 14, 2025 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development |||||||
| 16 | Mélanie Joly | March 14, 2025 | Incumbent | Liberal | 30 (Carney) |