International Communication Forum 2017 kicks off in Sharjah

SHARJAH: The sixth edition of International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2017) began on Wednesday at the Expo Centre Sharjah in a ceremony chaired by Shaikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The two-day event started with a session titled ‘Communication for Development and Social Partnership’. The session was attended by Dr Abdul Latif bin Rashid al Zayani, Secretary-General of the GCC and Najla bint Mohammad al Awar, Minister of Community Development in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kailash Satyarthi winner of the 2014 Nobel peace prize.

Dr Al Zayani began his speech by commending the cultural and architectural development being accomplished in the emirate of Sharjah under the leadership of Shaikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. He congratulated the ruler of Sharjah on the recent launch of the International Government Communication Centre.

Sustainable development which the world countries are striving to attain constitutes a fundamental pillar of the GCC work and many achievements have already been made within this framework. The GCC continues its efforts to achieve comprehensive partnership among the bloc’s member states particularly with regard to accomplishing the GCC joint market. A number of highprofile personalities participating in the Forum from the UAE and abroad including world statesmen, five UAE ministers, two Nobel Prize laureates, in addition to representatives of international organisations as well as public and private sector officials.

The Sixth Edition of IGCF features more than 2,500 participants, including heads of states, prime ministers, thought leaders, government officials, communication experts, leaders of regional and international organisations, civil society groups, research centres, journalists, and media and communication students from across the UAE and GCC countries.