TORONTO (AP) — Canadian diplomat and human rights champion Stephen Lewis passed away Tuesday at age 88, following an eight-year fight against stomach cancer, according to an announcement from The Stephen Lewis Foundation.
Lewis served as Canada’s United Nations ambassador and later took on several high-profile UN roles, including special adviser to former Secretary-General Kofi Annan during his distinguished international career.
His son Avi Lewis was just elected to lead Canada’s New Democratic Party this past Sunday, continuing the family’s political legacy.
Throughout his career, Lewis dedicated himself to advocating for human rights, women’s equality, and supporting African families affected by the AIDS crisis, using his powerful speaking and writing abilities as his primary tools for change.
“Stephen spent the last eight years of his life battling cancer with the same indomitable energy he brought to his lifelong work: the unending struggle for justice and dignity for every human life,” his family stated following his passing.
“The world has lost a voice of unmatched eloquence and integrity,” the family added.
Known throughout Canada as a gifted writer and speaker, Lewis spent decades advocating for the poor and marginalized, raising awareness about climate change dangers, and condemning violence against women and children globally.
His political career began with the federal New Democratic Party, leading to his election to Ontario’s legislature in 1963 when he was just 26 years old. He assumed leadership of the provincial NDP in 1970, guiding the party to official opposition status by 1975. Following electoral losses in 1978, he stepped down from party leadership to pursue careers in media commentary, lecturing, and labor arbitration.
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney selected Lewis as Canada’s UN ambassador in 1984, a position he maintained for four years. Subsequently, he served as special adviser to the UN secretary-general on African matters until 1991, followed by roles as UNICEF deputy director from 1995 to 1999, and UN special envoy for AIDS in Africa from 2001 to 2006.
Current Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his condolences, stating he “joined Canadians in mourning the loss of Stephen Lewis, a pillar of compassionate leadership in Canadian democracy and a renowned global champion for human rights and multilateralism.”
“As a member of Ontario’s legislature, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, and Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Lewis moved millions with his appeals for a compassionate and just society,” Carney remarked.
According to Carney, Lewis played a crucial role in establishing Canada as a principled opponent of South African apartheid and maintained that accessible healthcare was essential for poverty reduction and economic development.
Lewis was married to journalist and activist Michele Landsberg. The Toronto-based couple raised three children: Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, Jenny Leah Lewis, and Avi Lewis, who is married to author Naomi Klein.
