SHARJAH – Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of the Republic of Mauritius, hasbeen chosen the Principal Guest of Honour at the 7th edition of theInternational Government Communication Forum (IGCF) in Sharjah, recognisingher ability to successfully deploy communication, effectively disseminateher messages to the public and win the country’s presidency, announced theSharjah Government Media Bureau (SGBM).
The event will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultanbin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, on28-29 March 2018 at Expo Centre Sharjah.
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, a biodiversity scientist by training, is the veryfirst Muslim woman to be elected the leader of an African republic andPresident of the Republic of Mauritius, a set of islands in the IndianOcean about 860 kilometres off the Island of Madagascar. She is an idealexample of a strong female leader who is highly educated and an excellentdecision maker whose foresightedness has hugely benefitted her country withan estimated population of 1.3 million.
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim said: “I would like to thank His Highness Sheikh Dr.Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler ofSharjah for his kind invitation and utmost hospitality. It is always apleasure to visit the UAE. This region of the Middle East has witnessedunprecedented progress and development over the past decades. It is thetestimony to what vision and leadership can do. It is my first timevisiting Sharjah and I am looking forward to discovering it.”
“The theme of the conference is timely as we are witnessing tremendousprogress in the world of information and communication technologies and howthey are shaping Media. The latter is in turn not only impacting the worldof business through advertising but influencing elections. It will beinteresting to hear countries experiences and share best practices. Viewsof the millennials will be interesting to hear.” Gurib-Fakim added.
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Council (SMC),said: “We are honoured to have HE Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of theRepublic of Mauritius, at the International Government Communication Forum,and look forward to hearing her speak about her pioneering experiences inthe field of innovative government communication. Her tangible scientificand academic breakthroughs and achievements, as well as her experience incommunication, have enabled her to be heard, and she succeeded in winningthe confidence of the member of the country’s parliament in no time.”
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed underscored that HE Gurib-Fakim is one of the mostinfluential women in the world, and the third African female presidentafter Joyce Hilda Banda, President of Malawi, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,President of Liberia. He pointed out that hosting her will enhance theForum, which has become a powerful platform for world leaders, influencersand senior officials to express their ideas, thoughts and vision about thefuture of government communication, and how to deploy it effectively intackling major developmental and international issues.