- First of all, thank you for accepted the interview invitation. Please tell us about your previous engagements and your diplomatic career.
- Thank you for this interview. Since I joined the Canadian Foreign Service, I have served in the Embassy of Canada to Russia for four years, and in the Embassy of Canada to Kazakhstan for three years. I have also completed shorter, temporary assignments in the Canadian Embassies in Afghanistan and Ukraine. When I was posted to Russia, I was also accredited to Uzbekistan, and when I was posted to Kazakhstan I was also accredited to the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan. During these assignments I worked with so many wonderful colleagues in our embassies, and I met and collaborated with many dedicated people from diverse walks of life, including government, civil society and non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academia, and the media. I also had the opportunity to travel widely and to meet people all across the region and learn about their lives, cultures and histories.

In addition to my diplomatic postings abroad, I have had several assignments in the headquarters of Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa. I have worked in the Legal Affairs Bureau where I have focused on public international law, including international human rights law. This work took me to the United Nations offices in New York, Geneva and Rome to represent Canada in negotiations on a range of issues. As you might guess from my experience, in addition to being a diplomat, I am also a lawyer. Before I joined the Foreign Service I practiced law for a number of years in a private law firm in my hometown of Toronto, Canada.

I was deeply honoured to be appointed as Ambassador of Canada to Mongolia in 2019. I am so pleased to work to further strengthen the already robust relationship between Canada and Mongolia. Our countries have so much in common, including our fundamental values, and our respect for human rights and democracy. I believe that these shared values are one of the main reasons why we are able to forge strong people-to-people connections and positive and productive bilateral cooperation.

- It has been more than a year since you were appointed to Mongolia. During this time, have you had the opportunity to travel anywhere in Mongolia?
Yes, I am delighted to have taken some excellent trips in Mongolia, for both business and personal travel. Before I arrived in Mongolia to take up my appointment, I dreamt about exploring all regions of this beautiful country. I am happy to say that I have started to realize that dream. Last year, I went to the South Gobi where I visited the Oyu Tolgoi mine and Khan Bogd town. I spent a wonderful week on vacation at Khovsgol Lake last summer. Then, last fall, I took a business trip to Erdenet and several nearby towns, such as Khotol and Bulgan. And I took another business trip, to the west of Mongolia, where I visited Ulgii and Khovd. Before the start of that business trip, I had the opportunity to attend the Eagle Festival in Ulgii in early October. All of these trips have been wonderful. I have been amazed by the beauty of Mongolia, the contrasts in regional geography, and the natural diversity. But what I remember most from these trips are all the special people I have met. I look forward to visiting many more places in Mongolia once the circumstances allow.

-Every one of Canada’s development initiatives in Mongolia seems to focus on gender equality. Most recently, the topic of the Canadian Embassy’s annual essay competition among high school students was about the importance of women's economic empowerment for Mongolia's further development. What are the projects and programs being implemented in this area?
- Canada believes strongly in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls and this belief is at the heart of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy. This policy is grounded in evidence-based data that supports the belief that equal opportunities for all people, regardless of gender, to participate in economic, political, social and cultural life, is the best way to ensure increased prosperity and security for all. This is as true in Canada as it is in Mongolia.

Currently two of our Canadian-supported development assistance projects directly target gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) in Mongolia project, implemented by the Asia Foundation, supports efforts to break down the power barriers that inhibit women’s rights and leadership in Mongolia, with a focus on economic empowerment.  We are also working with the International Development Law Organization to implement a project called Strengthening the Response to Gender-Based Violence in Mongolia. This project is aimed at empowering survivors of domestic violence, particularly women and girls, by helping them to access justice, claim their rights, and play an active role in advocating against domestic violence crimes. 

Our two other projects that are currently ongoing here in Mongolia, Mongolia: Enhancing Resource Management through Institutional Transformation, or MERIT, and the Professional and Citizen-Centered Civil Service in Mongolia project with the United Nations Development Program, are also working to promote women’s leadership in the management of the extractive sector and more broadly in the civil service at the national and local levels. Essentially, both projects strive to improve policies and norms so that men and women have equal opportunities to work and thrive in safe and secure environments.

And you are correct in saying that all of Canada’s development initiatives focus on, or support, gender equality. This is intentional.  All of our development projects at Global Affairs Canada must be fully aligned with our Feminist International Assistance Policy and ensure that gender equality principles are being integrated into project outcomes. Gender equality is an overarching and integral approach that must be considered as part of all of our policies, programs and projects.

- You are the first female ambassador I am talking to. And also, when the recent new government of Mongolia was formed, there are four women ministers for the first time in Mongolian history. I would like to know your opinion on the impact and advantages of women in the development of any country. 
-I strongly believe that the development of any country’s prosperity and security is best achieved when all people, regardless of gender, participate equally in economic, political, social and cultural life.  Women not only make up approximately half of the population, but women’s intelligence, skills, experience, and sensibilities constitute approximately half of any country’s human resource wealth. 

In Mongolia, Canada remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote women’s representation in the economic and political arena. From 2016 to 2018 we supported the Women's Participation in Elections project with the International Republican Institute. This project aimed to improve women’s representation in the national and local legislatures through an inclusive and representative electoral environment where women are active, visible and viable candidates. Along with informing voters’ gender inclusiveness in the electoral processes and advocating with political parties to increase women in nominated, elected, and appointed positions, the project worked intensively with female candidates helping with their campaign plans and strengthening policy platforms and positions.  I am certainly pleased to see more women ministers in the Cabinet here and I hope this is the start of a positive and lasting trend.

You might have seen two documentary films Leveling the Playing Field and Our Voices produced by the Women’s Participation in Elections project.  They were widely broadcast online and on national and local television stations. I would like to think that some women currently in government benefited from the project’s Campaign Academy for Successful Elections and Governance Leadership Seminars.

Right now we are working with the Asia Foundation to implement the Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) project. This project focuses on strengthening representation of women’s perspectives in the economic growth and development policy agenda, and supports civil society organizations working on women’s economic empowerment in Mongolia to improve their strategies and plans, and strengthen their coalitions and networks. The project also provides professional and quality services and support to women entrepreneurs in Ulaanbaatar and other provincial centers.

Currently, close to 40 of the Canadian ambassadors serving abroad are women. This is a significant increase in the number of women ambassadors in our embassies abroad, compared to the past. Canada's first resident Ambassador to Mongolia was female. This positive situation is a direct result of the Canadian government’s commitment to supporting women’s progression to leadership positions in our public service. The Public Service Commission of Canada regularly monitors the participation and representation of women across the public service. Some progress has been made, but there is still much to be done and fostering diversity and inclusion is a top priority.

- I believe Canada is committed to advocating for the human rights of LGBTQ2+ and intersex persons to address the barriers to equality that continue to limit their ability to enjoy their human rights, both within Canada and around the world. So, what projects and programs are being implemented in Mongolia in this direction? In Mongolia, it is relatively better than before, but there is still discrimination against homosexuals.
- In many parts of the world, inadequate respect for and protection of the human rights of LGBTQ2+ persons remains an issue of particular concern.  More than seventy countries criminalize same-sex relations, with at least five countries imposing the death penalty for such conduct. LGBTQ2+ persons regularly experience discrimination and harassment in all aspects of their lives, including at work, in the classroom, and in looking for housing.  Relatively few countries recognize same-sex relationships in law, or provide legal protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

The promotion and protection of the human rights of LGBTQ2+ persons is a foreign policy priority for Canada.  We affirm that human rights principles are universal and alienable, and that states must respect the human rights of everyone, including LGBTQ2+ persons. No one should be subjected to discrimination because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics.  In Mongolia, we have been working with the LGBT Centre of Mongolia to promote the human rights of LGBTQ2+ persons in Mongolia. In 2020, we supported the annual activities within the framework of the Pride and Equality Days organized by the LGBT Centre of Mongolia. This year, the LGBT Centre’s project proposal to our Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) was one of those selected from among almost 300 proposals that we received. The Centre is in the process of implementing a two-year CFLI-funded project to empower Mongolian LGBTQ2+ youth and young adults, and provide mental health care services.

- I would like to ask about gender-based violence. Experts say that domestic violence has increased not only in our country, but also in other countries due to the pandemic. For example, what measures are being done in Canada against this? 
- Ending gender-based violence is a key priority for the Government of Canada both domestically and abroad. We have made concrete gains in this area. In 2017, the Government of Canada launched It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence, the first federal strategy of its kind.  We have made improvements to our laws including the Divorce Act, enhanced victim safety, toughened criminal laws for perpetrators, and required that the public sector provide equal pay for equal work. In 2018, the Government of Canada amended the Canada Labour Code to strengthen the prevention of harassment and sexual violence in federal government workplaces. In 2019, Canada committed $160 million over five years to the Women’s Program to enable further community action to tackle systemic barriers impeding women’s progress, while recognizing and addressing the diverse experiences of gender and inequality across the country.

Here in Mongolia, we are working with the International Development Law Organization to implement the “Strengthening the Response to Gender-Based Violence in Mongolia” project. This project is focused on empowering survivors of domestic violence, particularly women and girls, by helping them to access justice, claim their rights, and play an active role in advocating against domestic violence crimes. The project is supporting interventions focused on improving the response of justice sector actors to domestic violence, strengthening domestic violence primary advice and legal assistance systems and increasing awareness of gender-based violence and of the rights and services available for victims.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified systemic and longstanding inequalities, with women and girls disproportionately affected by the crisis. This is a very disturbing trend that continues to rise both in Canada and globally. The Government of Canada is taking strong action to prevent the pandemic from rolling back progress or reversing the hard-won gains of women in Canada.

For example, in February 2021, the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, launched the “Feminist Response and Recovery Fund”.  This new program will provide $100 million for new and scaled up projects that tackle barriers, address harmful gender norms and attitudes, or improve policies, practices, resource distribution, networks and relationships. Recognizing the need for a feminist, intersectional response to COVID-19, Women and Gender Equality Canada will direct funding to projects supporting marginalized or underrepresented people, including Indigenous women, women in visible minorities, LGBTQ2+ women, and women living with disabilities or in rural or remote communities.  The program provides funding to eligible organizations in three priority areas: ending violence against women and girls; improving women’s and girls’ economic security and prosperity; and encouraging women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles.

- Please give us information about the process of the Canada-funded project “Professional and Citizen-Centered Civil Service in Mongolia”?
- Canada is proud to provide support for Mongolia’s civil service reform which we consider a cornerstone of the democratic development of Mongolia.  An accountable and professional civil service is one of the three pillars of national development as defined by the government of Mongolia.   

In fact, Canada started supporting Mongolia in this area in 2011. From 2011 to 2013 Canadian experts assisted key stakeholders in drafting the amendments to the Civil Service Law in Mongolia, particularly the Office of the Prime Minister, the Office of the President, and the Civil Service Council.

Our shared objective is to assist Mongolia in the establishment of a professional and merit-based civil service that is independent and impartial.  I am happy that through this process Mongolia has been inspired by the Canadian model of public service. Canada is committed to working with our Mongolian partners to strengthen and modernize Mongolia’s civil service. 

Canada’s public service is recognized as one of the most effective in the world, according to the results of a 2017 British study that compares the performance of government workforces in 31 countries. Canada topped the rankings based on its overall score for performance measures such as policy-making, inclusiveness, openness, integrity, tax administration, crisis management, and fiscal and financial management.

Canada is happy to support the Professional and Citizen-Centred Civil Service in Mongolia project implemented by the United Nations Development Program. This project started in 2018--one year after the adoption of the amended civil service law of Mongolia and a year before it entered into force.

The Project works with key Mongolian public service institutions to support the Government of Mongolia’s implementation of the 2017 Law on Civil Service of Mongolia. Drawing on Canadian public service experience and expertise as much as possible, the project strengthens the legal and policy framework in order to create a more professional, merit-based civil service; improve professional and leadership capacities for civil servants; improve gender equity in public administration; and, introduce citizen-centered monitoring systems of public administration performance. 

Canada shares its experience and expertise in public service with Mongolia through other           projects as well, including Mongolia: Enhancing Resource management through Institutional Transformation (MERIT) and the recently completed Strengthening Extractive Sector Management in Mongolia (SESMIM). Both projects strive to build capacity for transparent and effective natural resource management that supports sustainable economic growth in the extractive sector in Mongolia. I would like to mention as well another recently completed project, Strengthening Transparency in the Public Service Sector in Mongolia Program (STEPS) which worked to improve public sector governance by strengthening transparency and accountability using benchmarking surveys as a primary tool.

- Last year, Canadian Embassy seemed to focus on freedom of the press. I would like to know your opinion on the freedom of the press in Mongolia.
- Canada is strongly committed to the protection of media freedom and plays a leadership role on this issue internationally. We believe that freedom of the media and freedom of expression are cornerstones of democratic societies and are essential to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. A free press provides citizens with accurate information enabling them to make informed choices and hold their governments to account. In 2019 Canada co-hosted the Global Conference for Media Freedom in London, United Kingdom. We continue to build on the results of that event, including by promoting the Global Pledge on Media Freedom. In November 2020, Canada co-hosted the second Global Conference for Media Freedom together with Botswana. This was an online event, which included the first Ministerial-level meeting of the Media Freedom Coalition. The conference provided an opportunity for journalists, civil society organizations and governments to discuss ways to protect media freedom around the world.

Canada and Mongolia share democratic values including media freedom. I believe that Mongolia has made significant achievements in freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the relatively short time period since transitioning to democracy. The Canadian Embassy has supported projects which promote media freedom and the professional development of Mongolian journalists. For example, the Canadian Embassy has partnered with the “Baldorj Foundation” to recognize the best journalistic works on human rights and women’s issues by women journalists in Mongolia. This initiative also raised awareness of the most pressing issues that Mongolian women face in their daily lives. We sponsored a Mongolian journalist to attend the 10th Global Investigative Journalism conference in Johannesburg. In 2018, the Business Council of Mongolia implemented a project funded by the Embassy’s Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), in which they organized a workshop to enhance the capacity of Mongolian journalists by providing them with a better understanding of the role that journalism plays in the public and private sector, and the ethical standards to which international journalists are held. The Embassy will be pleased to support further eligible initiatives in this area.  

- In this interview, it is necessary to mention the “Children of the Peak” kindergarten at the Ulaanchuluut landfill. On behalf of all Mongolians, I would like to thank all of you who have successfully implemented this project funded by the Canada Fund.  How was the project implemented and how much did it cost?
- We are indeed very proud of the activities by the kindergarten in Ulaanchuluut area. I would like to clarify that the kindergarten was founded and is run by a wonderful Canadian family, Julie and Chelvan Veloo, who have devoted much of their personal time, effort and resources to make this project a success. We, as an embassy, have been trying to support the project from the beginning with the resources that are available to us. In the past, the project received funding from our Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, a small grants program administered by our Embassy in Mongolia. This year, the Veloo Foundation organized a humanitarian food donation during the pandemic lockdown which affected many families quite seriously in various parts of Mongolia. Over 100 families in Songinokhairkhan district have directly benefited from this project. We are very happy that we were able to fund this important project through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives during these challenging times.

- Let's talk about COVID-19, the main topic in the world. What is the current situation of pandemic in Canada? What social and economic measures are being taken by the government to target people and businesses?
- As in all countries around the world, the impact of COVID-19 on Canada has been extremely serious. Like Mongolia, Canada has introduced many measures to protect its citizens against the spread of the coronavirus, including lockdowns, quarantines and travel restrictions. A top priority now is to vaccinate as many Canadians as possible as quickly as possible, beginning with healthcare and other frontline workers as well as the most vulnerable groups in society from a health standpoint. The government’s goal is to vaccinate all Canadians who want to take the vaccine by the end of September 2021.  

The pandemic’s impact on the Canadian economy has been negative.  In 2020, GDP contracted by 5.4 percent, its biggest drop since 1961, and unemployment jumped from 5.67 to 9.7 percent. The Canadian government introduced a robust stimulus package – called Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan – at the outset of the pandemic, committing billions of dollars in direct support to Canadian families and businesses.  For Canadian businesses, this included a 75% wage subsidy to help companies pay their employees and keep people employed. Among the initiatives to help families affected by COVID-19, the government created The Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, which provides simple and easy-to-access rent and mortgage support directly to tenants, while also providing support to property owners.

- As someone who lives and works here, how would you evaluate the measures being taken against COVID -19 in Mongolia?
Mongolia faces many of the same challenges that Canada is facing with respect to the pandemic: keeping people safe, providing healthcare, and proceeding with a vaccination program, while also managing the economic impacts of the pandemic. A large number of people in Mongolia have already received at least one dose of a vaccine. This is very encouraging.

Canada has committed to supporting access to COVID vaccines for low and middle income countries around the world through the ACT-Accelerator. Up until now, Canada has announced financial commitments of more than $865 million in this regard. This includes a contribution of $220 million to support low and middle income countries’ procurement of vaccines through the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). Canada is the second-largest financial supporter of the Gavi COVAX AMC.

I do think it is important for people in all countries to continue to actively take precautions to fight the spread of COVID-19 even while vaccination programs are underway.

- I think we have a Canadian education fair in every year in here. How much scholarship opportunities do Mongolian youth and students have in Canada?
- Recruiting Mongolian students to study in Canadian high schools, colleges and universities is an important priority for the embassy. Prior to the pandemic, representatives of many Canadian educational institutions traveled to Ulaanbaatar to participate in international education fairs and the embassy actively supported these efforts. We look forward to these visits resuming as soon as the pandemic ends.
 
In the meantime, the embassy continues to actively promote education in Canada with the help of virtual platforms. For example, on March 24, the embassy and Canada’s Niagara College co-hosted a presentation on Education in Canada that was broadcasted live on the embassy’s Facebook page. Participation in these online events is free of charge and we encourage anyone interested in Canada and its education system to join.
 
As for scholarships, all Canadian colleges and universities offer scholarships. However, as a general rule, Canadian schools do not offer scholarships on a country-specific basis and there are no special scholarships specifically for Mongolian students. Student scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement and all students, both Canadian and international, including Mongolian students, are eligible to apply. 
 
- How does the Canadian government attach importance to the Oyu Tolgoi project? What do you think about the proposal to change the contract?
- Canada is the largest foreign investor in Mongolia. We appreciate the Government of Mongolia’s support for Canadian companies and investors. Factors which are important to foreign investors in any country include adherence to the rule of law, respect for human rights, and the independence of the judiciary. A large portion of Canadian investment in Mongolia is in the mining sector, including in Oyu Tolgoi. We are proud of this investment as we feel that Oyu Tolgoi represents an excellent example of the mutually beneficial economic results that cooperation in the mining sector can deliver.

I say that because Oyu Tolgoi is a significant contributor to the Mongolian economy, including as a taxpayer and as a provider of jobs, with as many as 13,000 Mongolians, men and women, directly and indirectly employed.  We expect that Oyu Tolgoi’s positive economic impact will only increase when production is launched at the underground component of the mine. We believe that all stakeholders should continue to work towards mutually beneficial outcomes. As I mentioned at the beginning of this interview, the first trip I took in Mongolia outside of Ulaanbaatar was to Oyu Tolgoi. This was a priority for me, because I wanted to see this project with my own eyes, and meet people who are working there.

I can tell you that I was extremely impressed by the professional nature of this world-class project, and by the many community development projects supported by Oyu Tolgoi in Khan Bogd. I was particularly inspired after talking with many women who work at Oyu Tolgoi, and hearing about the professional development opportunities that are available to them. I was also very glad to see the strong support that Oyu Tolgoi management provides for the professional development of women.

- Thank you for the interview.