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Demonstrating the ability to promote collective and cooperative responses to crises such as the global pandemic is a moment to prove the value of multilateralism as a concept, and to prove the doubters wrong. At a time when many are claiming that the idea of a rules-based international order and collective action is a relic of history, demonstrating the ability of the international community to col- laborate to resolve one of the greatest challenges of our time can serve to resuscitate the very notion of collective action over unilateralism. As Ambassador at the UN, Bob works hard to make the organization more relevant and effective. He has been a strong voice of support for Ukraine and an even stronger voice of condemnation of Russia’s illegal invasion and the need to hold Russia accountable for its brutal actions. He names names of those countries which are actively enabling Russia’s war of ag- gression and he vigorously urges other UN members to take immediate steps to enforce international laws. Ambassador Rae is also a strong voice for the world’s 100,000,000 displaced people. His spotlight on obvious and immediate humanitarian needs also reflects on the underlying causes such as climate change, the pandemic and politics itself. Bob has been elected to Canadian Federal and Provincial parliaments on eleven separate occasions, beginning shortly after his studies as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and his graduation from the University of To- ronto Law School. He served as Premier of Canada’s most populous Prov- ince, Ontario, and as interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, playing a pivotal role in rebuilding the party and paving the way for the election of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Ambassador Rae is a Companion of the Order of Canada, which is the highest civilian honour in Canada. The Ambassador’s service at the United Nations is not his first internation- al contribution. He was asked to study and report on the Air India bomb- ing, which was the worst act of terrorism against the travelling public prior to 9/11. He also served as Canada’s special envoy to Myanmar. In that role, he visited the refugee camps of the Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and heard horrific stories of suffering and war crimes which he recounted in his report Tell Them We’re Human, which emphasized the clear need for more effective coordination of both domestic and international efforts to address this humanitarian crisis. After the Myanmar assignment, Rae was named as Canada’s special envoy on humanitarian and refugee issues. Shortly before being appointed as United Nations Ambassador, Bob delivered his report A Global Crisis Requires a Global Response, which included the insight: Ambassador Rae’s remarks to the College, a reflection of his extensive experience in international mat- ters including his thirty months at the United Nations, focused on three themes: International law is “real” law; Canada and the United States have played key roles in its development since 1945; and the powerful battle between the principles of accountability and the practice of impunity presents a huge challenge in its enforcement. The tragic, one-year anniversary of Russia’s attack on Ukraine came just days prior to Ambassador Rae’s address to the College. He noted that the world is still reeling from the consequences of that unprovoked and illegal act. Rae used Russia’s conduct as the backdrop for his review of international law; acknowl- SUMMER 2023 JOURNAL 30