IGCF calls for setting up of media marketing ministries

Sharjah / WAM

Participants in Sharjah’s International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2018), have recommended the establishment of ministries for media marketing to enable governments to build the reputation and values that facilitate communication with people.
They have also called for the setting up of digital platforms to support public engagement in national decision making; creation of social media channels and applications for children and issuance of official licences for practicing the profession of government communication.
The recommendations were put forth at the closing ceremony of the seventh edition of IGCF, held under the patronage of HH Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and organised by the International Government Communication Centre (IGCC), on March 28-29 at Expo Centre Sharjah.
The Forum came to a ceremonious close in the presence of Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, SMC, Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the forum’s guest of honour, Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, SGMB, and Jawaher Al Naqbi, Manager of IGCC.
The evening’s proceedings saw the Academic Committee of IGCC share the Forum’s outcomes and its recommendations.
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi expressed his profound thanks and appreciation to all those who had contributed to the success of the Forum, particularly the speakers, for their expertise that enriched the sessions and talks. He also thanked the Forum’s guests, SGMB staff and various government and private organisations that participated in the event’s programme, as well as media institutions that gave the event good coverage and conveyed its proceedings to the audience around the world.
Jawaher Al Naqbi outlined the Forum’s recommendations, which included a call for the establishment of ministries for media marketing to build reputation and promote values that facilitate communication between the government and its audience, as well as with other countries in the world. IGCF 2018 also recommended that social media channels and applied programmes be designed for children to guide them and raise their awareness about the cons and pros of the digital means and support constructive communication skills.
Other recommendations include the launch a ‘government communication and media week’ to support young skills and spread awareness about the government communication sector and how to use modern technology in a way beneficial to them and society.
Participants also called for competent official bodies to start issuing licences to individuals who wish to practice government communication in cooperation with academic institutions, in addition to introducing government regulations that protect community members against any attempts to access their personal data or communication channels for illegal purposes.
The recommendations stressed the importance of supporting scientific research on future communication technolo- -gies and direct brain-to-brain communication that allows transmitting a thought from one person to another without the need of using a machine. The participants called for increased efforts to strengthen the role of youth in this direction to ensure sustainability in the process of digitalising communication – government and otherwise.
They also called for the need to strengthen cooperation between government bodies and develop public-private partnerships with a greater degree of involvement by academic institutions to develop competencies and prepare highly qualified cadres in government communication.
The Forum called for the integration of media marketing into school and university curricula. Other recommendations stressed the need to work on the use of open data to enhance the performance of governments and services for the welfare of citizens, while supporting economic transformations and strengthening the competitive edge of countries. They highlighted the importance of public involvement in the national decision-making process through technological and digital means, including the development of interactive platforms to communicate with the public, listen to their opinions and answer their queries.
IGCF 2018 called for the need to develop digital diplomacy, given its importance in direct contact with the public and for soliciting public opinion through commissioning various studies dealing with digital diplomacy. It also underlined the need for
establishing professional associations and organising conferences and seminars that help stimulate creativity and innovation, as well as creating online literacy programmes that make it easier for individuals and communities to access websites anywhere and anytime.
The forum also called for establishing an online platform that brings young innovators together, together with including smart education and artificial intelligence in school and university curricula. It suggested forging partnerships with social media providers to introduce special government communication platforms and develop training programmes for government sector employees on how to best use these platforms to serve mutual communications.