SMC action plan based on three main axes -'Development & Empowerment', 'Research' and 'Documentation'

IGCF 2015 to host President of Liberia, 27th Prime Minister of Australia and 11th President of the European Commission

Sharjah Media Centre-Sharjah-UAE: January 20, 2015 - Sharjah Media Centre on Monday unveiled the agenda for the upcoming International Government Communication Forum (IGCF), which will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, on February 22-23 under the theme "Specific Actions...Better Results". IGCF 2015 is set to host some of the most prominent leaders and decision makers from around the world, including President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia; Julia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australia; Lakhdar Brahimi, United Nations Diplomat; Jose Manuel Barroso, 11th President of the European Commission 9th and Prime Minister of Portugal, amongst others.

His Excellency (HE) Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre, also unveiled  the centre's strategic plans for 2015, which will be based on three main axes -'Development & Empowerment', 'Research' and 'Documentation'.

The announcements were made at a gala dinner at Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre, in the presence of heads of government entities in Sharjah and editors in chief of leading media organisations in the UAE, as well as the Sharjah Government Communication Award's Judging Panel.

In his address, His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi said the centre's plan for the year ahead is based on providing knowledge resources and practical experiences that can be utilised for the development of government communication practices in the UAE and the region.

He stated that the centre's strategic plan is based on three main axes.

The first axis -  'Development and Empowerment' - will seek to give governments of the region access to best practices through cooperation with the federal government of the UAE and experts from governments around the world, as well as the American University in the UAE and the Emirates News Agency.

The second axis will focus on 'Research' to provide government communication practices with a series of scientific and academic researches in collaboration with some of the world's most prestigious universities and specialised research centres.

The third axis, focusing on 'Documentation', will aim to create an easy-to-use online library for those interested in learning, researching or expanding their knowledge in the field of government communication to achieve further progress and excellence in overall government performance.

Highlighting the aspects of IGCF 2015, HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi said the prestigious event has been and will continue to serve as a transparent platform for discussing current pressing issues and outlining recommendations and decisions to help governments and workers in the field of government communication enhance their performance. He added that the forum will spare no effort in bringing the best local, regional and global expertise to achieve its goal.

Speaking about the main focus of this year's forum, the Chairman of SMC went on to say: "We have heard and read a lot about the future of the relationship between governments and their people, but what we need today is  to make  carefully thought-out decisions so we can drive positive change with the participation of the people. This is what will be discussed during this year's edition of the forum, where we will all look into the future of communication and determine what governments and their people need to do together as partners in order to reach a brighter future that we all aspire towards."

HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi thanked His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for his continuous support to all of SMC's activities and initiatives. He also thanked His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and all the government entities, private companies and media organisations sponsoring the forum.

Announcing the agenda, Osama Samra, Director of Sharjah Media Centre, said: "IGCF 2015 will discuss 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 will leverage its sessions and case studies, and will host 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."

Highlighting the key points of the forum's comprehensive agenda with the audience, Samra said the event will commence with an official opening ceremony under the patronage and presence of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, as well as the presence of the forum's Guests of Honour.

The first of the IGCF 2015 sessions will follow the opening ceremony. Titled 'The future of government communication', the panel discussion will host José Manuel Barroso, 11th President of the European Commission (2004-2014) and 9th Prime Minister of Portugal (2002-2004), and will be moderated by Jeremy Bowen, Middle East Editor - BBC.

The second session, discussing 'Government communication departments: communication and dialogue platforms', will feature Alex Aiken, Executive Director for Government Communications at the UK Government; Yomna Kamel, Government Communication Consultant at the UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs; and Karen Sanders, Professor at IESE Business School/CEU San Pablo University. Shanto Iyengar, the award-winning specialist in political communication, will moderate the session.

Wrapping up the opening day's activities, renowned TV presenter Stephen Sackur from BBC Hardtalk will host a live interview with Julia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australia (2010-2013). The conversation will draw Gillard's opinion on the role that government communication plays in times of crises.

The second and final day of IGCF 2015 will commence with an opening speech followed by an interview with Lakhdar Brahimi, United Nations Diplomat until 2014. Dr Raghida Dergham, senior diplomatic correspondent for Al Hayat newspaper, will lead the interview.

Titled 'The future of digital government communication', the second session will feature Jared Cohen, Founder and Director of Google Ideas; Ben Hammersley, Journalist and researcher on social networking tools; Hugh Pinney, Vice President of  Editorial - Getty Images; and Muna Abu Sulayman, Arab Media personality and former Secretary-General -Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation. Rima Maktabi, Senior Anchor and Roving Correspondent at Al Arabiya, will moderate the session.

Concluding the IGCF 2015 sessions, Turki Al-Dakhil, an eminent TV personality and presenter at Al-Arabiya, will host a case study titled 'The Spokesperson: between the reality and the future', bringing together Mustafa Al Khalfi, Minister of Communication and Spokesperson of the Moroccan Government; Robin  Gordon-Farleigh, News Planner at the Prime Minister's Office - UK; Khaled Hazem, Industry Solution Manager for Government Middle East & Africa Public Sector at Microsoft; , and James Rubin, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs under President Clinton.

IGCF 2015 will host two workshops in collaboration with Thomson Foundation. The first workshop - 'Communicating complex issues to a sceptic audience - case of the EU budget 2014-2020' - will be led by Ron Korver, Head of the Service for Science and Economy at the Press Unit of the European Parliament. The second workshop, titled 'Digital communications - future and challenges', will be hosted by crisis communications specialist Donald Steel.

In addition to the workshops, IGCF 2015 will host two interactive lectures. The first, titled 'Crisis communications in the digital age', will be led by communications consultant Nigel Kay while the second lecture, titled 'Case study of BP and the Deepwater Horizon disaster', will be hosted by communications consultant Mark Webster.

The workshops and interactive lectures will be re-run on the second day to provide a larger audience with the opportunity to benefit from the specialised sessions.

Sharing further details of the agenda for IGCF 2015, Osama Samra said several distinctive features of the earlier editions have been retained, such as 'The Green Seat' initiative, which allows the youth and students in the UAE universities to share their perceptions and opinions during the sessions. However, a key addition to IGCF 2015 will be a social media competition that will encourage participants to share their thoughts and experiences. To this end, a fully equipped social media station has been designed to enable the forum guests to login to various social media platforms and share their opinions and thoughts.

As part of the gala dinner, Ali Jaber, Group TV Director at MBC and Dean of Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Communication at AUD, shared his thoughts on the importance of social media in the government communication matrix.

Jaber said: "This historic phase in our region requires us as media professionals, politicians and decision-makers to reconsider the mechanisms of traditional communication. This is particularly significant as we see online and social media play the biggest role in keeping pace with global and regional events, and become influential players in shaping public opinion. The need to use these means of communication to create areas of interaction between governments and citizens is clearly evident if we are to start a dialogue that contributes to achieving harmony between peoples and governments in order to assure a better and safer future."

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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 organized 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.

Therefore, in the pursuit to fulfil this purpose, the IGCF imports into the region and especially into Sharjah, the latest global best practices in the fields of government communications, media, public relations and other related fields.

For more information visit www.sgci.ae

© Press Release 2015