Dr. Mario Silva

Dr. Mario Silva has had a distinguished career as an elected oflicial in Canada between 1994 and 2011 as well as an author and international legal scholar. He was appointed by the Government of Canada to serve as the 2013 Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

Dr. Silva is a graduate of the University of Toronto, the Paris-Sorbonne University and holds a Master’s degree in International Law from Oxford University and a PhD in law from the National University of Ireland, Galway. He has been honoured by the French President with the title of Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honour and has also been awarded the Order of Merit of Portugal, the Order of Rio Branco (Brazil) and the Insígnia of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. He has also received the Bridge Builder Award by the Parliament of Canada Ali Party Interfaith Friendship Group.

While serving on the Toronto City Council Dr. Silva held a number of posts including Acting Mayor, President of the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives and Chair of the City’s waterfront facilities at Exhibition Place.
During his three terms as the Member of Canadian Parliament, Dr. Silva served as the Shadow Minister for Labour, the Treasury Board and Foreign Affairs for the Americas.