Government | Thursday 19 February, 2015 3:02 pm |

The Closing session of the upcoming International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2015) will highlight the multidimensional role of today’s official spokesperson as a conduit between the government and its audiences – the sender and the receiver.

Moderated by Turki Al Dakhil, General Manager of Al Arabiya News Channel, the session, titled ‘The Spokesperson: Between the reality and the future’, will host a number of prominent leaders from the government and private sectors, including the Minister of Communication and Spokesperson of the Moroccan Government His Excellency Mustafa Al Khalfi, as well as James Rubin, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs under President Clinton (1997 – 2000), Robin Gordon-Farleigh, News Planner - UK Prime Ministry, and Khaled Hazem, Industry Solution Manager, Government Middle East & Africa Public Sector – Microsoft.

Using the spokesperson as a case study, the guests will discuss the changing role of spokespersons in delivering messages and policies, and in building public awareness, especially in light of the critical role the social media is playing today. They will also define the steps required to develop a future generation of thought leaders and decision makers who can have a positive influence on government communication practices in general.
Jawaher Al Naqbi, Manager of IGCF, said: “The official spokesperson is the voice of the government and the focal point for connecting public administration with the media. It is known that a spokesperson with a stronger presence and wider knowledge has a better influence in forming the public opinion. This is because the audience usually waits for a particular person to share their personal point of view and analysis about a specific situation. We strongly believe it is necessary to focus on the development of spokespersons as an effective link in government communication.”

Minister Mustafa Al Khalfi enjoys media experience spanning more than a decade. He was appointed Minister of Communication and Spokesperson of the Moroccan government in 2012, and previously presided the 33rd session of the Diplomatic Conference of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva in 2006. He is known for his message for justice, peace and equality, and his efforts in building good relations between Morocco and the rest of the world.

James Rubin is an internationally renowned foreign affairs journalist, academic, and authority on US diplomacy, national security and foreign policy. He served as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs under President Clinton, and as Senior Adviser for National Security to John Kerry, and in the run-up to the 2008 Presidential election, he was a member of Hillary Clinton's campaign team.

Robin Gordon-Farleigh has for the past four years coordinated the UK government’s public announcements and media activity. With an in-depth understanding of the complexities of government communications, he has advised several international governments on strategic communications and best-in-class techniques to coordinate communications and media activity across government lines. He has also held various communication roles in the UK government, advising ministers, working in operational management roles and providing consultancy on strategic communications and planning for the Department for Work and Pensions, as well as the Department of Health. 

Khaled Walid Hazem acts as a trusted strategic advisor to government leaders to help them create an IT environment that supports their individual policy agendas and their citizens. In addition, he works in conjunction with worldwide Microsoft’s public sector team, as well as with Government officials, to ensure governments and citizens are taking advantage of the innovative e-government solutions available through Microsoft and their partners.