Featured in Episode 43.
When I was in Poland in 2015 as a member of the official delegation accompanying the then Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, I met and interviewed the then Canada’s ambassador to Poland Alexandra Bugailiskis.
2017 is a special year for Canada which this year celebrates its 150th birthday. A series of conferences and negotiations led to creation of the Dominion of Canada by establishing on July 1, 1867 the Confederation – the union of the British North American colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Province of Canada. Canada 150, as this anniversary is called, is a huge celebration of Canada both at home and wherever Canada is present, also in Poland.
During my most recent visit to Poland in April, I visited the Canadian Embassy in Warsaw to interview Canada’s present ambassador to Poland Stephen de Boer.
Stephen de Boer presented his credentials as Canada’s Ambassador to the Republic of Poland on December 2, 2015. Mr. de Boer worked for 11 years for the Government of Ontario advising on trade and investment policy issues before beginning work with Global Affairs Canada in 2003. He has held various positions in the department including as Director General for Trade Controls, Director of the
Oceans and Environmental Law Division and Director of the Softwood Lumber Division. From 2010-2013, he was the Deputy Chief Negotiator for Climate Change and Director General at Environment Canada promoting Canada’s environmental and economic interests in the development of a new agreement on climate change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and advancing Canada’s interests in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants. Mr. de Boer also represented Canada during meetings of States Parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, during NAFTA negotiations concerning the clarification of various investor-state provisions and at the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies.
Mr. de Boer received an award from the Minister of International Trade for his contribution to the conclusion and ratification of the Canada-U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement (2007) and received a Commendation from the Deputy Minister of Environment Canada for his work during the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference (2010).
Mr. de Boer has published and lectured on international trade and environmental issues including at the Faculty of Law at Western University, Ryerson University and at the School of Law at Case Western Reserve University. Mr. de Boer is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Canada-U.S. Law Institute.
Mr. de Boer has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from Western University and a Master of Laws in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University.
Embassy of Canada to Poland in Warsaw
The history of the Canadian Embassy in Warsaw
More on Canada’s 150 celebrations
