Sharjah 24: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the 11th annual edition of the International Government Communication Forum raises curtain tomorrow (Wednesday), with 160 senior public officials, thought leaders and government communication experts, who will engage in exciting discussions and debates on the most innovative solutions to overcome challenges posed to the sector by present and future trends.

Organised by the International Government Communication Centre (IGCC), an initiative of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), the two-day forum held under the theme ‘Challenges and Solutions’ in Expo Centre Sharjah will be home to more than 80 activities, including seven main sessions, ten inspiring speeches, six workshops, six preliminary activities, 13 interactive platforms and 40 side activities highlighting the role of government communication in overcoming local and global governance challenges, and social and economic crises, while highlighting opportunities arising from them.

This year, IGCF celebrates bringing together the largest number of partners, sponsors and supporters in its 11-year history, featuring 29 local and international entities and academic institutions that will envision the future of the sector, train and upskill young talents during training sessions as well as provide media coverage of the event. 

The two-day forum will be headlined by His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Member of the UAE Cabinet and the Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Filipe Calderon, former President of Mexico and Honorary Chairman of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada, Jim Yong Kim, former President of the World Bank Group, HE Dr. Nevin Al Kilani, Minister of Culture of Egypt, Mohan Munasinghe, Vice-Chairman of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Mohammed Abdullah Al Qahtani, world champion speaker and author of "The Power of Word", Dr. Khaled Ghattas, life scientist, Peter Mimi, Egyptian filmmaker and author, Dr. Ashraf Zaki, Head of the Egyptian Actors Syndicate, Charlie Rocket, motivational speaker and social media star, and Charles Duhigg, American writer and journalist.

His Excellency Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General, SGMB said: “Today, Sharjah opens new doors to the world of government communication with the participation of leaders, thinkers, changemakers and specialists who will enrich the forum with their vision, ideas and deliberations to formulate best possible solutions to the pressing challenges of this era.

“We look forward to the enthusiastic public participation in the forum’s diverse activities, which are designed to impart knowledge and expertise beneficial to all, especially for communication major students,” Allay noted, adding: “We also look forward to the expert recommendations that will be put forth by this edition of the forum, hoping they will serve as a future road map for government communication departments to develop their plans and chart out effective strategies to enhance communication between the government and the public.”