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Sharjah to host International Government Communication Forum on Sept 28-29

The forum’s two-day agenda will highlight the importance of designing government communication

The 11th edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) will take place on September 28-29 in Expo Centre Sharjah.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the forum will feature discussions centred around this year’s theme 'Challenges and solutions'.

Guests and speakers at the two-day forum will analyse the “socioeconomic and community trends that will determine the next stage of government communications regionally and around the world”.

The debates and discussions at IGCF 2022 will highlight the role of government communication teams in conveying challenges “wielding the right tools, approach and methodologies to motivate the public in becoming partners in the creation of solutions and appropriate practices”.

The forum’s two-day agenda will highlight the importance of designing government communication that fully takes into account national realities including economic, social and cultural challenges, as well as people’s needs and aspirations.

IGCF 2022 will discuss the best practices as governments navigate economic crises before, during or after their occurrence. Two communication methodologies; one based on the yielding to the repercussions of crisis, and the other focused on transforming crisis into opportunity, will be examined at the forum. A key feature of the forum this year is an interesting analysis by experts and thought leaders on the impact of words and language, both written and spoken, on the people when the government communicates with them on critical matters and key issues.

Tariq Saeed Allay, director-General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), said rapid developments worldwide have reiterated the importance of government communication in building people’s trust in government institutions.

“The upcoming edition of the forum will signal the start of a new chapter of government communication in the region, as it will sufficiently respond to major transformations in technology, economy and social sciences. Communication is not a set concept, but rather a constantly evolving science that adopts its strategies and defines its goals according to current events, while taking into account the aspirations and interests of societies.

“The UAE has proved its leadership in crisis management, which makes IGCF the ideal platform to build on this success from Sharjah by facilitating knowledge and expertise exchange on global best practices in the field and look into future challenges and solutions,” he added.

He pointed out that government communications is a shared responsibility of both the public and the government. It is not “limited to delivering official messages to the people or receiving requests from them, but rather a two-way process where governments can identify weaknesses to strengthen them, while continuing to add to their strengths”.

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