The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs, concluded a successful visit to Manila, Philippines, to deepen Canada's strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.
During her visit, Minister Anand attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Post Ministerial Conference Plus Canada and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting to discuss pressing regional and global security challenges with her counterparts.
During her visit, Minister Anand announced the adoption of the 2026 to 2030 Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership. The action plan will guide cooperation between Canada and ASEAN on trade and investment, regional security and mutually beneficial economic cooperation.
At the ARF Ministerial, Minister Anand announced that Canada will extend its co-chairship of the ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on Security of and in the Use of Information Communication Technologies, alongside India and Indonesia, to advance practical collaboration on evolving cyber threats. Minister Anand also explored ways to enhance cooperation with ASEAN on defence and was pleased to announce that Canada will host the next ARF Heads of Defence Universities, Colleges, Institutions Meeting in Victoria, British Colombia, this October.
To strengthen financial integrity and combat transnational organized crime, Minister Anand announced $3.6 million for three initiatives to address money laundering and terrorist financing with ASEAN partners. This includes:
- a $217,000 investment to support the Lao People's Democratic Republic's efforts in fulfilling its Financial Action Task Force action plan, provided by the Institute for Legal Support and Technical Assistance
- a $2.4-million project with the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering to strengthen its membership through expanded political engagement, boosting regional coordination and enhancing member capacity to implement risk-based anti-money laundering and terrorist financing
- a $1-million investment top-up to the World Bank to support the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering membership in adopting and enhancing risk-based policies, laws and regulations to address money laundering and terrorist financing
The last two investments support Canada's commitment under the G7 Financial Crime Call to Action, which Canada spearheaded during its G7 presidency in 2025.
Minister Anand also announced $1.7 million to address transnational crime and terrorism threats affecting children in the Philippines. This initiative, implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, will protect children from sexual exploitation and recruitment by armed, criminal and terrorist groups in the Philippines.
A $4.5-million project announced by Minister Anand will address significant biological proliferation vulnerabilities by strengthening implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention in the Asia-Pacific and Africa. This project will support the long-standing Canada-ASEAN Mitigation of Biological Threats program and the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Strengthening Regional Biosafety, and Biosecurity (2024) by advancing non-proliferation and biosecurity capacities across ASEAN.
Under the Philippines' leadership as ASEAN chair, the Philippines' Department of Migrant Workers and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada are jointly spearheading a regional initiative to promote fair and ethical recruitment of migrant workers. Canada has committed $455,000 through the ASEAN-Canada Plan of Action Trust Fund to promote fair recruitment of migrant workers, strengthen protections and improve reintegration support, to help reduce vulnerabilities to exploitation, trafficking and scam networks. This project aligns with Canada's priorities as a champion country of the Global Compact for Migration on labour mobility, anti-trafficking and rules-based migration governance.
Minister Anand also announced almost $500,000 to advance gender equality and women's empowerment in ASEAN. This includes governance in key areas linked to economic growth, innovation, climate resilience and peace and security in ASEAN and supports the Philippines' 2026 ASEAN chairship. Through the ASEAN-Canada Plan of Action Trust Fund, this project will support the 4th ASEAN Women Leaders' Summit, hosted by the Philippine Commission on Women during the Philippines' chairship.
