Canada’s Ambassador to Iraq Kathy Bunka, who was appointed in August 2023, is highly engaged on social media. In an interview with Kurdistan Chronicle, she emphasized that she “invests a great deal of thought and energy to sustain an active, professional social media feed on X.”

“Social media is another venue to promote key messages, including Canada’s interest in a strong relationship with both the federal government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government, and to work with these governments to make the world a better place,” she said.

Ambassador Bunka underlined that social media is an indispensable tool in diplomacy. “I also use my social media posts to demonstrate my humility. I am Canada’s Ambassador to Iraq, but I don’t profess to be an expert on issues related to the Kurdistan Region or the Middle East. I am here in Iraq to learn and listen to the experts and to be a conduit to share what I learn with the Canadian government.”

“I am the eyes and ears of the Canadian government on the ground in Iraq. I post fun and silly things on social media to show that I am approachable and kind and humble, an approach that has served me well in many parts of the world: people know that I am approachable and they come to me and share information with me. This makes me a good diplomat, I say with all humility.”

Disinformation

However, Ambassador Bunka noted that, as a government official, she needs to be vigilant about what she shares and reads on official social media accounts and watch out for disinformation. “If I unwittingly share incorrect information, I become part of the problem because this is misinformation.”

“In the 21st century, with widespread use of the internet and social media, and the advent and accessibility of tools for artificial intelligence, disinformation is easy to make and spread. It is more sophisticated and harder to detect,” she added. “Complicating matters further, there are foreign governments peddling false information and unprecedented levels of fraud perpetrated using disinformation.”

“At the same time, at all times when using social media, I and others need to be aware of the extent of disinformation. Frequently, there are reports of security incidents in Iraq posted on X and on websites that are not true,” she said. “Ottawa picks them up and – at any time of the day or night – writes to me to ask: ‘Ambassador, we’re hearing reports of explosions in Iraq, are all staff accounted for?’ And time and time again, I check with my contacts – people I trust and people who trust me – and more often than not, reply saying, ‘False information, go back to sleep.’” 

Moreover, she said that there are multiple companies on the internet promoting services to provide visas to visit Canada. “Multiple companies around the world make ludicrous claims about what they can do for you if you pay them enough money. They may claim to be in a position to guarantee a visa, for example, or provide free travel and employment in Canada,” she said.

“There is nothing a law firm or a private company can do that an individual cannot do themselves: they cannot guarantee or speed up a visa application. There is only one lawful legitimate site for visa applications: the ‘canada.ca’ website.”

Additionally, there are websites and social media posts promoting the services of people posing as immigration lawyers, trying to take advantage of refugees and people who want to immigrate to Canada. Canada aims to raise awareness of false campaigns and flag such a campaign or company as fraudulent.

“As for immigration services, a law firm qualified to provide immigration services will be registered with the provincial bar association in Canada. An immigration consultant needs to be licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants,” she said.

Newroz in Korek

Ambassador Bunka has made several trips to the Kurdistan Region. In March, she shared pictures from the Newroz celebrations in Akre and Korek on X. “I said thank you to Prime Minister Masrour Barzani who hosted the diplomatic community in Akre for Newroz, but let me say it again here: “Big Thank You!” The organization of the events was ‘over the top’ exceptional.” 

“These are the moments when I feel privileged to be a diplomat, to represent Canada, and to have the opportunity to witness extraordinary things like the torchlight procession up the mountains in Akre,” she said. “I posted photos on X and Facebook and sparked envy in my social circles. My brother, who always expects me to go above and beyond, expected me to join the procession and carry a torch up the mountaintop. He asked for photos from the top of the mountain! I said that he should join me in Akre next year, and we’ll do the climb together!”

Sinjar agreement

On January 19, Ambassador Bunka met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Minister of Interior Reber Ahmed and “had very fruitful and frank discussions about the security challenges facing the region and the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement, which is one of the key topics of discussion when I meet – and I meet regularly – with Yezidi representative groups and activists.”

Canada has also urged the authorities in Erbil and Baghdad to complete all administrative, security, and reconstruction aspects of the Sinjar Agreement at the earliest opportunity, to enable Yezidi communities to return to safety and security.

“I understand that there has been significant progress in recruiting and training the police forces stipulated in the agreement but that militias with vested interests in the region are reluctant to cede control to national security forces. This needs to be resolved. With the imminent closing of camps – on July 30 – Yezidis want to return. I urge all authorities with vested powers to do what they can to restore security to the Sinjar region and to accelerate reconstruction efforts.”

“I believe that the measure of civilization is partly determined by the manner in which a government treats its minority populations and respects freedom of religious beliefs and practices for all minorities. Full implementation of the Sinjar Agreement is a test of this commitment to minority rights.”

Climate change

In November, Ambassador Bunka also met with Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, Senior Advisor to Prime Minister Barzani for Foreign Affairs and Climate Change. According to experts, Iraq is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.

“The KRG has a stellar envoy for climate change. I have met Advisor Rahman many times, and she is an exceptional diplomat and advocate for the priorities of the KRG,” she said. 

In Iraq, Canada has invested in climate change mitigation efforts, aligning with Iraqi priorities and coordinating with UN agencies. This includes initiatives like water management, alternative energies, and climate-sensitive agriculture. “We all need to do more, Canada and Iraq alike.”

“Canada’s policy on climate change in Iraq is the same as Canada’s policy on climate change around the world: we need to do more to mitigate its effects and do better with policy to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 13, which calls for urgent action to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C,” she concluded.