Meritorious Service Medal

• Awarded on: May 25, 1998
• Invested on: December 04, 1998

Gerald E. Shannon, M.S.M., Ottawa, Ont.
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)

Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the Secretariat of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, Gerald Shannon was Chief Negotiator for Canada to the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations in 1994. His extraordinary negotiation skills led to significant improvements in the regulations governing international trade as well as increased market access for agriculture and industrial goods and services. Under Mr. Shannon's leadership, Canada was a major influence in the Uruguay Round and was recognized, along with the European Union, as the creator of the World Trade Organization and the integrated dispute settlement system. Mr. Shannon made an indelible mark on a most significant episode of Canadian history.