How did world leaders respond to COVID-19 crisis? Find out at Sharjah's IGCF 2021

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

In the lead-up to the 10th edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF), scheduled for September 26 – 27, under the theme “Historic Lessons, Future Ambitions," the forum has announced that it will review the critical messages delivered by leaders and governments in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The discussion will aim to offer qualitative assessment of its impact in reshaping lifestyles and public behaviour to boost the future readiness of government communication teams in the event of further unpredictable global challenges and emergencies.

One crisis, varied messaging

During the pandemic, countries around the world resorted to many diverse and specialised messaging that varied in terms of content, tone, and authoritativeness. The direct and long-term impact of these communication strategies have elicited unique responses and behaviour from target audiences worldwide.

The IGCF 2021 provides a unique opportunity to discuss the vital role of government communication in a time of crisis, and highlight the valuable lessons crucial for building effective, responsive, and agile government communication strategies.

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The forum's purpose of researching and drawing insights from the short and long-term impact of official crisis communication is not to highlight their successes or flaws, but to better understand the cultural, institutional, and social motives behind such key messaging that could provide rich lessons and set new standards for those in the field of government communication.

The 10th edition of the forum will point out that government communication experts and observers had identified four main types of official messaging worldwide during the pandemic. These included communication that was motivational, transparent, had mixed or ambiguous elements of denial and procrastination, and those that emphasised pragmatic, corrective action. He said each type of messaging could be analysed to study the unique circumstances of each society, the type of relationship embedded between institutions and communities, and the responsibility of government communication teams in presenting credible and informative messaging that reflect the reality of the situation.

Unique dimensions of crisis communications

The IGCF 2021 calls on institutions, public officials and members of the government communication teams, and media to participate in the research and analysis of official communication to assess their impact on societal and economic security in times of crisis. He pointed out that the pandemic led to a massive information flow from various digital and offline sources which made the audience fall prey to diverse agendas, further underscoring the importance of government communication as a credible and reliable source of disseminating the right information in a crisis situation.

The 10th edition of IGCF, to be held at Expo Centre Sharjah, will review the historical experience of government communication especially in times of crisis. He added that this elevates the two-day forum into a qualitative edition in terms of topics addressed and the calibre of its participants, and serves as a stepping stone to underline the pivotal role of government communication in bolstering trust between institutions and communities, and in its quest towards achieving socio-economic sustainability.

The International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) started 10 years ago as an ambitious idea devoted to our common interests in the UAE, as well as the interests of societies worldwide – the reason it received the patronage of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. The idea not only received support from public and private entities in the UAE and the region but also sparked the interest of experts and professionals. Thanks to planning and perseverance, IGCF has grown into the most prominent international platform to address the relationship between entities, governments and the public through government communication, said Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) reprising the historic decade-long journey of IGCF.

Describing how IGCF navigated the challenges it has faced since inception, Allay pointed out that even though the idea of the forum was new to the region, it succeeded because it came as a response to two key questions: the future of the relationship between government entities and communities, and the model Sharjah should present in highlighting the role of partnerships in achieving inclusive sustainable development.