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Canada announces $2.9 million in support for security in Southeast Asia

Aug 6, 2018
Canada announces $2.9 million in support for security in Southeast Asia

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Chrystia Freeland, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced $2.9 million in funding, through the Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program. In addition, the Minister announced that Canada will co-host an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF) workshop on cybersecurity, as well as be the co-chair of the ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on Disaster Relief.

Canada will work with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and UN Women to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement officials in the ASEAN region to respond to migrant smuggling and transnational organized crime. With the support of Canadian funding, these partners will provide training and support focused on addressing gender issues that aggravate cross-border crime, particularly migrant smuggling. This project aims to increase women’s participation and leadership in law enforcement, including border management, as well as to strengthen the capacity of front-line officers in border locations to respond to the needs of women and girls in the context of cross-border crime and migrant smuggling.

Cybersecurity has emerged as an important area of focus for ASEAN, the ARF and, in particular, Singapore. Canada will co-chair a workshop with Singapore in 2019 aimed at promoting the development of national cybersecurity policies, by participating countries, that are consistent and supportive of the international rules-based order, including elements such as international law, norms of state behavior in cyberspace and human rights obligations.

In addition to that, Canada has committed to co-chairing the ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting (ISM) on Disaster Relief with the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and China for the 2018 to 2021 period. Canada will help guide cooperation on disaster relief among the 27 members of the ARF, including by coordinating the annual ISM, relevant workshops and the disaster relief work plan.

Original source: GA Canada
Published on 4 August 2018