12th Lebanese President General Michel Sleiman Delivers Keynote Address

Sharjah-UAE: 22 February, 2015

His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, today inaugurated the fourth International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2015) in the presence of guest of honour General Michel Sleiman, former President of the Republic of Lebanon (2008-2014).

In his opening speech, His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, said: "Public communication, particularly that represented by live radio and television programmes where people call in with their concerns on important social issues, is crucial for the exchange of information and messages between the government and the people. Such initiatives help the public to better understand the aspirations of the government. They are also vital in engaging citizens and society and introducing government policies, legislations and services to the public."

His Highness the Ruler observed that such programmes have led to an improvement in the dialogue between citizens and officials and resulted in changing social behaviour.

He added: "Public programmes are an important tool to engage stakeholders, including citizens, civil society, and the media in the nation-building process."

He confirmed that such communication activates the process of democracy through informing the people about government policies and triggering a healthy debate on their effectiveness. They also, consequently, help drive government policy and shape public opinion.

His Highness stressed the importance of internal communication and follow-up to ensure smooth progress of operations and processes in all government departments. In addition, the role of external communication in engaging citizens, consolidating a spirit of national responsibility and supporting national initiatives at all levels and in all domains was also highlighted.

In his keynote address, General Michel Sleiman, 12th President of the Republic of Lebanon, said: "The development in the areas of information and communication technologies has effectively impacted the lifestyle, mind-set and values of people. Today, direct and indirect media have penetrated the minds of men, homes, offices, factories, barracks and trenches. The public can now hear and see officials addressing them directly, eliminating the role of the mediator."

He added: "If a government is to convince the public of its goals, the public must prompt the government to hear its concerns and aspirations, and meet its growing demands. Despite the fact that the media is still a successful channel of persuasion, it only flows in a single direction, especially if the media lacks freedom and objectivity. Effective communication, on the other hand, is richer and more humane for it allows the exchange of thoughts, measures reaction, and encourages participation. Furthermore, communication today is no longer limited to public speaking and includes modern technologies and governance techniques as well."

Cautioning governments about their inadequate channels of communication, General Sleiman said leaders and governments that hesitate to communicate with the public will eventually create barriers and cause bureaucracy in administration and institutions. He further pointed out that for communication to be based on trust and efficiency, it must not only answer the needs of the public, but also be characterised by precision, transparency and objectivity. More importantly, it must be understandable, sustainable, comprehensive, and timely.

On the steps needed to ensure a better relationship between the government and the public, General Sleiman said: "We must spread the culture of communication between officials and the public and create the right environment for its dissemination in a way that is independent of any influences from legislative, executive and judicial authorities. We need to enact laws that protect communication from any political arrogance. We must fight strict media censorship, and not restrain the media with dictatorship. Last but not least, officials need to leave their ivory towers and get closer to the public."

The opening session of IGCF 2015 began with an address by His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre (SMC), who pointed out that the current economic and geopolitical developments, which have cast their shadow on the entire world, place greater responsibility on global and regional governments to explain their internal and external policies openly and transparently. He said the time when the type and sources of information were controlled by governments is long gone, and is now replaced by an era of interaction and dialogue in which the public has the ability to express its opinion about events in home countries and countries around the world.

His Excellency stressed that the speed of delivering information and influencing the public is creating a challenge for some governments due to their administrative nature. However, the emirate of Sharjah looks at this challenge as an opportunity to develop this aspect of government work, as effective government communication that is based on transparency and objectivity has become one of the main factors that characterise effective governance.

His Excellency added: "Today we are in a time of freedom in sharing information and opinion, thus the knowledge of citizens and their ability to communicate are as important a measure as the strength of a country's army or economy. No one can deny the power of armies in resolving conflicts, but governments around the world realise that an army may withhold a story or impose an opinion for some time, but it will not be able to limit the spread of a counter-story or restrain impressions and ideas all the time."

He also stressed that SMC, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has taken upon itself the task of developing and empowering government communication departments in the emirate of Sharjah, and sharing this experience with the other emirates and across the region and the world. He said such efforts are designed to help government communication departments reassess their important strategic role and adapt their scope of work to fit with modern and world-class government communication matrixes.

SMC Chairman identified four necessary steps that must be taken to improve the performance of government communication departments. These include realising and promoting the new strategic role of government communication among government officers and officials, conducting a professional and objective self-assessment to measure the administration's ability to apply the principles of government communication in daily operations and the application of a comprehensive and ongoing training plan, as well as hiring appropriate persona for appropriate positions.

Concluding his speech, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi thanked the forum's strategic partners and sponsors, which include Emirates Airlines (Airline Partner), Arabian Gulf Mechanical Centre - BMW (Official Car), Getty Images, twofour54 and Microsoft (Content Partners), Sky News Arabia (Regional Media Partner), The New York Times (International Media Partner), Thomson Foundation (Training Partner), National Media Council, Al Khaleej newspaper, Al Bayan newspaper and Dubai Radio (Media Partners), National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), as well as Pink Caravan, Tim Hortons and Expo Centre Sharjah (Partners).

The opening session was also attended by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister for International Cooperation and Development, His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Ajman Ruler's Representative for Administrative and Financial Affairs, His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Seaports and Customs, Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Essam bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation, His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Director-General of the Department of Information and e-Government, His Excellency Rashid bin Ahmed Al Sheikh, Head of the Amiri Diwan, His Excellency Major General Hamid Mohammed Al Hadidi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, His Excellency Abdullah bin Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia (2010-2013), Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations (2004-2005), Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission (2004-2014) and Prime Minister of Portugal (2002-2004) and James Rubin, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs under President Clinton (1997-2000), in addition to a number of political figures, media representatives, academicians, thought leaders, and local, regional and international government communication professionals.

Held under the theme "Specific Actions...Better Results", IGCF 2015 discusses the immediate actions needed today to ensure a better relationship between the government and the public using effective and clear government communication mechanisms. The forum hosts a group of global experts in the field of government communication to identify the actions required on the international and local levels to further activate the role of government communication.

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About Sharjah International Government Communication Forum (IGCF):
The International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) held in Sharjah is an annual forum that is organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The Forum aims to build a platform for better communication between governments and their stakeholders to support the government of Sharjah towards creating a participatory dialogue and to develop government communication mechanisms for the benefit of government institutions in the UAE and the region. To fulfil this purpose, the IGCF imports into the region, and especially into Sharjah, the latest global best practices in government communications, media, public relations and other related fields.

For more information visit www.igcf.ae        
 
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For media enquiries please contact:
Bahar Erdogan
Global Communications Coordinator
Media Department
Government Communication Unit
Sharjah Media Centre
Tel+971   6 5123420
Email: bahar.erdogan@sharjahmedia.ae 

© Press Release 2015