Backgrounder – Biographical note – Anna-Karine Asselin

Anna-Karine Asselin (LLL., University of Ottawa, 1990; Barreau du Québec [Quebec Bar], 1991) joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1994. At Headquarters, she served in the Legal Bureau twice, from 1995 to 1998 and from 2002 to 2004 in the UN Legal Operations Division and the Criminal and Treaty Law Division. At the Privy Council Office, she served in the Machinery of Government Secretariat (1998 to 2001). Overseas, Ms. Asselin served as counsellor and program manager (politico-military) as part of Canada’s delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Vienna (2004 to 2008). Upon her return, she held management assignments, including as deputy director in the Inter-American Relations Division. She served as minister-counsellor in Brazil (2011 to 2015) and was appointed as Canada’s ambassador to Panama (2015 to 2018). She then led Canada’s UN Security Council campaign as executive director (2018 to 2020) and was director general for Consular Policy (2020 to 2022). From 2022 to her current appointment as Canada’s Permanent Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization, Ms. Asselin served as Canada’s ambassador to the Hellenic Republic and high commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus.