November 26, 2014 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today hosted an event at Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD) headquarters during which he discussed the importance of social media in diplomacy with Canadian diplomats, Ottawa-based foreign representatives and specialists in the field of digital technology.
Baird talked about his personal perspective on social media and how it can be used to advance Canada’s foreign policy, trade and development objectives. “Our diplomats are increasingly using social media to promote Canadian values and interests abroad,” he said. “We have expanded our digital presence enormously over the last year and are always looking for ideas on how to develop it further.”
During the event the Minister announced the launch of a new @Canada Twitter handle that will aim to capture international audiences’ interest by offering a window into “everything Canadian” and content that goes beyond foreign policy, trade and development. “This new Twitter account will become the voice of Canada to the world on Twitter,” Baird said. “This is one more tool in our diplomatic toolkit as we promote Canada as a nation of strong values, rich culture, beautiful landscapes and a dynamic economy.”
The Minister was joined by Carl Bildt, former Swedish prime minister and foreign minister, who is widely regarded as a trailblazer and leading advocate for digital diplomacy. Mr. Bildt chairs the Global Commission on Internet Governance, which met in Ottawa from November 24 to 25, 2014. During the summit, Baird presented Mr. Bildt with the John Diefenbaker Defender of Human Rights and Freedom Award for his work on promoting Internet freedom.
The social media event featured panel discussions between digital diplomacy and technology specialists, including representatives of Facebook Canada, Twitter Canada and Google Canada, and several DFATD social media experts and senior managers—some of whom participated in the event by webcast from their postings abroad. A key topic of conversation was the development of a DFATD digital communications and engagement strategy, along with the key elements that should be included in this strategy.
For the full text of Baird’s remarks on digital diplomacy, please visit Modern Diplomacy in the Digital Age.
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