Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan
SHARJAH, UAE, March 6, 2017: Preparations of the 6th IGCF is being finalized in the Emirate Sharjah. The Sharjah Executive Council and its media wing are taking all possible measures to make it the best among all the IGCF.
The Sharjah Executive Council is going to arrange a separate meeting/dialogue with HE Alexander Stubb, the former Prime Minister of Finland and Member of Parliament, during a workshop organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), as part of preparations for the 6th edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, from March 22 to 23 at the Expo Centre Sharjah.
In line with the theme of the upcoming 6th edition of IGCF, “Societal Participation…Comprehensive Development”, the special session will discuss the challenges facing the international community as well as exchange views, experiences and best practices with the aim of achieving the United Nations’ 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of Sharjah Government Media Bureau said: “In Sharjah as well as across the UAE and around the world, governments have been increasingly creating frameworks and policies to promote sustainable development. The upcoming IGCF will strengthen these international efforts by bringing together local and global leaders and experts in order to learn from past experiences and adopt best practices. In particular, the IGCF will focus on the critical role that effective government communication can play in achieving these goals” he added.
The said session will be informative and interactive too during which the former Prime Minister of Finland will discuss his experiences as member of Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development (FNCSD) which oversees the country’s national and international sustainable development goals while particularly focusing on engaging society to participate actively in the process.
Allay added that Finland is working to encourage individuals to play their role in achieving the 2030 agenda, an approach that the UAE has also adopted.
“Governments need to engage citizens to successfully meet with the 17 UN development goals, and the best way to achieve this end is through effective government communication. The said workshop with the Executive Council of Sharjah and Mr. Stubb, is an example of how nations around the world can come together to achieve ambitious goals,” he said.
The sixth edition of IGCF later this month will see the attendance of more than 2,500 local, regional and international leaders and media experts from 16 countries.