Ambassador Vicky Singmin shared her perspectives on ASEAN-Canada cooperation and outlined strategic partnership priorities for the coming decade, focusing on people-to-people connection and free trade partnership. She also emphasised Canada’s global leadership in advancing gender equality and women empowerment, particularly through its commitment to the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
Ambassador Singmin joined the Canada Mission on 3 April 2023 and will end her term in July 2025. She also served as head of cooperation and political counsellor of the Mission prior to her appointment as ambassador.
What insights can you share on ASEAN-Canada cooperation? How will Canada strengthen its strategic partnership with ASEAN in the next 10 years?
Great question! Canada’s relationship with ASEAN dates back to 1977, when we became the third country to establish a Dialogue Partnership. So, we have a long history with ASEAN.
Since I arrived in Jakarta in 2019, I have been inspired as our relationship with ASEAN has moved forward, growing and thriving more every day.
The biggest highlights during my time here have been having our Prime Minister attend three ASEAN Summits and achieving the Strategic Partnership in 2023. Another highlight was the adoption of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy—a 10-year framework with 2.3 billion US dollars in funding for the first five years—which provided a major injection of momentum into the relationship.
Beyond meetings and frameworks, the relationship is really about people— connecting with others, learning about different cultures, and bringing people together. And that’s one thing the ASEAN-Canada partnership does really well. For example, our Canada- ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) programme has supported over 600 students from ASEAN in studying in Canada, with 200 more expected to go this year. I have been lucky to meet some of the students and hear their amazing stories of growth and learning in Canada! We are now working to expand the programme—more details to come!
As we celebrate the 48th anniversary of ASEAN-Canada dialogue relations this year, I am excited about what the future holds for this partnership. This year, we are building a new five-year ASEAN-Canada Plan of Action. It will be a vital framework for our commitment to ASEAN, the new ASEAN Community Vision 2045, and for working hand in hand for the prosperity, safety, and security of all.
The ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement is poised to strengthen economic ties between the two regions. Beyond trade figures, how do you anticipate this agreement translating into tangible benefits for people and communities in the region?
Trade figures are important, but the true value of the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) lies in the tangible benefits for people and communities across both regions.
Trade diversification is now more important than ever. This FTA will strengthen our economies, enhance the resilience of our supply chains, and empower our companies to diversify trade. For individuals, this will mean a greater diversity of choices, more affordable goods on shelves, increased access to innovative services, and a more stable economic environment. It will also mean a wider variety of safe food products that are available.
Establishing and maintaining regulatory measures while avoiding unnecessary barriers to trade will protect the health and safety of people, plants, and animals. Why does that matter? Consistent international standards, along with transparent, predictable requirements, build trust and ensure the health and safety of our products. This, in turn, facilitates trade and helps grow market access for our exporters.
The FTA will also benefit businesses by making it easier for smaller enterprises— including those led by women and young entrepreneurs—to participate in international trade, spurring local economic growth and job creation. Our supply chains will be more resilient as businesses are able to connect with new partners and ensure essential goods remain available, even during unforeseen global events. For example, our FTA will support the achievement of the trade goals in the ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for SME Development 2016-2025.
Canada has been a strong advocate for gender equality globally. Can you elaborate on your work with ASEAN on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS)?
Sustainable peace is only achievable when women are fully involved in peace and security efforts. This conviction drives Canada’s efforts, both at home and abroad.
ASEAN is embracing the WPS agenda, and Canada has been part of that important journey. We are building partnerships with the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation and UN Women—for example, through our 8.5 million US dollars, five-year regional WPS programme with ASEAN and UN Women—and bringing youth into these discussions.
I am so proud of this partnership with ASEAN, and at a special time, too: 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on WPS. In honour of this occasion, we were delighted to partner with Viet Nam and Australia to co-chair an ASEAN Regional Forum Workshop on WPS this past March.
Beyond WPS, can you tell me a little more about Canada’s work on empowering women and promoting women in leadership?
Canada is a global champion advocating for women’s equal participation and leadership in all spheres. Prime Minister Mark Carney is strongly committed to advancing gender equality. His recently appointed cabinet is gender-balanced, with 14 women and 15 men ministers, and a dedicated Ministry for Women and Gender Equality.
We take gender equality very seriously, including here in ASEAN, because we know that doing so promotes fairness, strengthens community resilience, and fosters inclusive decision-making that benefits societies and economies. For example, our 2.4 million US dollar project with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy called “Advancing Equal Societies through Women’s Political Leadership and Participation in ASEAN” brings together local political leaders in Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, and Thailand to better understand the barriers to women’s political engagement and explore solutions to overcome them.
In addition, I recently provided remarks to celebrate ASEAN women in finance who had completed the Toronto Centre’s Women Leadership Program. It was amazing to speak to those accomplished women leaders from across ASEAN! I find these experiences rewarding and humbling.
As a woman ambassador, how do you perceive your role in inspiring and mentoring the next generation of women leaders in diplomacy and international relations? Canada hosted another speed mentoring session for women in ASEAN. What were your key takeaways from the session, and why is it important for women to mentor other women?
I have been fortunate to benefit from wonderful mentors, both women and men. In my current role, it has been my greatest pleasure to mentor and support the young women leaders of tomorrow.
For example, during the closing ceremony of the Women in Foreign Policy Fellowship, organised by the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia, I spoke alongside the ambassadors from the UK and Australia— both women—about gender equality and women’s leadership to a remarkable audience of young women from all 10 ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste.
Canada’s annual “Speed Mentoring” event, co-hosted with the Embassy of Canada to Indonesia, has become one of our signature initiatives. Each year, we bring together extraordinary women leaders— from ambassadors to CEOs to civil society leaders—with exceptional young women to share their success stories and inspire the next generation.
Through other initiatives, such as our Ambassador for a Day programme and the Girls Takeover programme with PLAN Indonesia and the Embassy of Canada to Indonesia, I have been proud to give a space for young women to lead and experience first-hand what a day in the life of an ambassador is like.
Our mission is simple: to inspire and empower the women leaders of tomorrow by connecting them directly with the women leaders of today.
My tenure as Canada’s Ambassador to ASEAN is drawing to a close, and as I reflect on my time here, I am immensely grateful.
My family and I have cherished our time here in Indonesia and our travels across this diverse and remarkable region. We will always remember the warmth of the people of Southeast Asia, the richness of the history, the delicious food, and the breathtaking scenery.
I know the future of the ASEAN-Canada relationship is in excellent hands—at present, our mission to ASEAN is led by an all-woman team—because of the profound mutual trust built between the people of Southeast Asia and Canada over the years.
It is difficult to leave, but I know this is not really a goodbye. As many colleagues have told me, “Once a member of the ASEAN family, always a member of the ASEAN family.”
From my family to the ASEAN family, thank you for this extraordinary opportunity, and I look forward to watching the ASEAN-Canada relationship continue to flourish in the years to come.
