“Today, I join 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.

He helped position Canada as a principled leader in ending apartheid in South Africa and believed that proper health care was key to reducing poverty and growing economies. As the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, and later as the co-founder of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, he pressed the world to see the human toll of this horrific epidemic not as a distant tragedy, but as a shared responsibility that demanded global action.

I offer my condolences to Stephen Lewis’ wife, Michele, their three children, and all those whose lives he touched. He will be deeply missed.”