Max Yalden Explained

Max Yalden
Honorific-Suffix:CC
Office1:2nd Commissioner of Official Languages
Term Start1:1977
Term End1:1984
Predecessor1:Keith Spicer
Successor1:D'Iberville Fortier
Office2:Canadian Ambassador to Luxembourg
Term Start2:1984
Term End2:1988
Predecessor2:D'Iberville Fortier
Successor2:Jacques J.A. Asselin
Office3:Canadian Ambassador to Belgium
Term Start3:1984
Term End3:1987
Predecessor3:D'Iberville Fortier
Successor3:Jacques J.A. Asselin
Birth Date:12 April 1930
Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Death Place:Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Birthname:Maxwell Freeman Yalden
Spouse:Janice Yalden
Children:Robert Yalden
Cicely Yalden (deceased)
Alma Mater:University of Michigan
Occupation:Diplomat, civil servant

Maxwell Freeman Yalden, (April 12, 1930 – February 9, 2015) was a Canadian civil servant and diplomat.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 1952, a Master of Arts degree in 1954 and a Ph.D in 1956 from the University of Michigan. He joined the Department of External Affairs in 1956. From 1969 to 1973, he was assistant under-secretary of state and in 1973 was deputy minister of communications.

He was the second Commissioner of Official Languages from 1977 until 1984. He was Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg from 1984 to 1987. From 1987 to 1996 he was the Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. In 1996 he was elected to a four-year term a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. He was re-elected for a second term in 2000.

In 1988 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1999. In 1998 he was awarded an Honorary LL.D. from Carleton University.

He died at Ottawa, Ontario, at age 84, from pneumonia complications.[1]

References

Notes and References

  1. News: Csillag, Ron. March 3, 2015. Civil servant Max Yalden was a fierce defender of human rights. The Globe and Mail. March 5, 2015.