Former UN judge Louise Arbour becomes Canada's governor general

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday marked the installation of Louise Arbour as the country's 31st Governor General, describing her as a public servant whose career has been shaped by a commitment to accountability, justice and human rights.

Speaking at the installation ceremony in Ottawa, Carney said the governor general serves as a guardian of Canada's democratic institutions, constitutional framework and national values.

"The Governor General is the steward of the values we cherish, of the democracy that we celebrate, of the Constitution that protects our freedoms," Carney said.

He said Arbour's more than five decades of public service had been guided by the belief that institutions must be accountable and that human dignity should be protected regardless of circumstances.

In her remarks, Arbour said democratic societies must preserve space for differing views, warning that "extreme polarization is dangerous, so is extreme consensus."

She said public institutions, including schools, courts and legislatures, play an important role in facilitating national debate and managing differences peacefully, citing the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as a key framework for that process.

Arbour also said Canada's international influence would depend in part on its ambitions at home, adding that such ambitions should be pursued over the long term.

Arbour became Canada's 31st governor general, the representative of the monarch in Canada. The office dates back to the colonial era, while Vincent Massey became the first Canadian-born governor general in 1952.

In Canada, governors general typically serve five-year terms and perform largely ceremonial and constitutional duties in a nonpartisan role.