Sergio Marchi
Encyclopedia
Sergio Marchi, PC
(born May 12, 1956) is a Canadian
diplomat and former politician.
Marchi was born in Argentina
to an Italian family who subsequently emigrated to Canada. He worked as a businessman and urban planner
.
He entered politics when he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1984 election
as the Liberal
Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Toronto
-area riding
of York West
.
When the Liberals came to power in the 1993 election
, Prime Minister
Jean Chrétien
brought Marchi into the Canadian Cabinet as Secretary of State for Canada
. He subsequently served as Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
and Minister of the Environment
. He was appointed Minister of International Trade
in 1997.
Marchi left politics in 1999 to accept an appointment as Canadian ambassador
to the World Trade Organization
in Geneva
. He served one term as Chairman of the WTO's ruling council.
In 2005, it was reported in the media that Marchi might challenge incumbent David Miller for the Toronto mayoralty in the municipal election in 2006. Marchi said only that he was talking with people. In February 2006, Marchi joined the Toronto law firm of Lang Michener LLP as a senior advisor, and also became President of the Canada China Business Council, and Chairman of the Canadian Services Coalition.
Marchi is currently serving as a Senior Fellow with the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, in Geneva. He also teaches at Webster University, in Geneva, in the International Relations Department, and heads up an international initiative advancing the cause of global governance for migration.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born May 12, 1956) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
diplomat and former politician.
Marchi was born in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
to an Italian family who subsequently emigrated to Canada. He worked as a businessman and urban planner
Urban planner
An urban planner or city planner is a professional who works in the field of urban planning/land use planning for the purpose of optimizing the effectiveness of a community's land use and infrastructure. They formulate plans for the development and management of urban and suburban areas, typically...
.
He entered politics when he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1984 election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
as the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-area riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of York West
York West
York West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904 and since 1917.Its population was 110,384 in 2001...
.
When the Liberals came to power in the 1993 election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
brought Marchi into the Canadian Cabinet as Secretary of State for Canada
Secretary of State for Canada
The position of Secretary of State for Canada was a Canadian Cabinet position with a corresponding department. It was established in 1867 as the official channel of communication between the Dominion of Canada and the Imperial government in London...
. He subsequently served as Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Canada)
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government department responsible for immigration, refugee and citizenship issues, Citizenship and Immigration Canada...
and Minister of the Environment
Minister of the Environment (Canada)
The Minister of the Environment is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's environment department, Environment Canada...
. He was appointed Minister of International Trade
Minister of International Trade (Canada)
The Minister of International Trade is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet is the head of the federal government's international trade department and the provisions of treaties such as the North American Free Trade Agreement .The post was first established in 1983 as the Minister...
in 1997.
Marchi left politics in 1999 to accept an appointment as Canadian ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. He served one term as Chairman of the WTO's ruling council.
In 2005, it was reported in the media that Marchi might challenge incumbent David Miller for the Toronto mayoralty in the municipal election in 2006. Marchi said only that he was talking with people. In February 2006, Marchi joined the Toronto law firm of Lang Michener LLP as a senior advisor, and also became President of the Canada China Business Council, and Chairman of the Canadian Services Coalition.
Marchi is currently serving as a Senior Fellow with the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, in Geneva. He also teaches at Webster University, in Geneva, in the International Relations Department, and heads up an international initiative advancing the cause of global governance for migration.