Organization Profile - Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Minister of Canadian Heritage

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was established as a federal Crown corporation under the Museums Act in March 2008. Located in Winnipeg, and a member of the Canadian Heritage Portfolio, the museum is responsible for exploring the subject of human rights, with special but not exclusive reference to Canada, in order to enhance the public’s understanding of human rights, to promote respect for others and to encourage reflection and dialogue.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Museums Act
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/M-13.4/index.html

The Director of the museum shall be appointed, with the approval of the Governor in Council, by the museum's Board to hold office during pleasure for a term of not more than five years.

The Director of the Museum is eligible to be reappointed, with the approval of the GIC, by the Museum’s Board.

The Director is the CEO of the museum. If the Director is absent or unable to act or if the office of the Director is vacant, the Board may designate another officer of the museum to act as Director for the time being, but no person so designated shall act in that office for a period exceeding ninety days without the approval of the GIC.

There shall be a Board of Trustees consisting of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and not more than nine other trustees to be appointed by the Minister with the approval of the GIC.

The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson hold office during pleasure for a term not exceeding four years. The other trustees hold office during pleasure for a term not exceeding four years, that will ensure, as far as possible, the expiration in any one year of the terms of office of not more than four of those trustees.

A person is not eligible to be appointed as a member of the Board if that person is not a Canadian citizen.

A trustee is eligible to be reappointed to the Board in the same or another capacity, except that,

• no person may be appointed as Chairperson, and no person may be appointed as Vice-Chairperson, for more than two consecutive terms; and
• a trustee, other than the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson, who has served three consecutive terms in that capacity is not, during the year following the expiration of the third term, eligible to be reappointed in that capacity.

If the Chairperson is absent or unable to act or if the office of the Chairperson is vacant, the Vice-Chairperson has all the powers, and may exercise and perform all the duties and functions of the Chairperson.

If the Vice-Chairperson is absent or unable to act or if the office of the Vice-Chairperson is vacant, the Minister may designate another trustee to act as Vice-Chairperson for the time being, but no person so designated shall act in that office for a period exceeding ninety days without the approval of the GIC.

Where the office of a trustee, other than the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson, becomes vacant during the term of the person appointed thereto, the Minister, with the approval of the GIC, may appoint a person to that office for the remainder of that term.

Notwithstanding the above, if a trustee is not appointed to take office on the expiration of the term of an incumbent trustee, the incumbent trustee continues in office until a successor is appointed.

A person is not eligible to be appointed as a member of the Board if that person is not a Canadian citizen.

The Financial Administration Act requires that before an officer-director of a parent Crown corporation is appointed, the Minister shall consult the Board of Directors of the Corporation with respect to the appointment.

The Auditor General of Canada is the auditor of the Museum.