Business & Money | Tuesday 17 February, 2015 2:38 pm |

Lakhdar Brahimi, prominent Algerian diplomat and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations (2004-2005), will share insights from his eventful four-decade diplomatic career at the opening session of day two of the upcoming International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2015).

In his one-on-one conversation with Raghida Dergham, New York Bureau Chief for Al Hayat Newspaper, the former UN official will draw upon his extensive experiences in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, South Africa, Yemen and Lebanon to highlight international affairs, conflicts and peace efforts. Exploring the relationship that exists between international decision makers and the public, Lakhdar Brahimi’s interview-style session will also focus on the vital role and challenges of government communication in contentious diplomatic issues, particularly in shaping public opinion.

Osama Samra, Director of Sharjah Media Centre, said: “Lakhdar Brahimi brings with him in-depth knowledge and considerable experience in tackling local, regional and global diplomacy. His work spans an entire gamut of crisis situations. This unique bird’s-eye view of the nexus that exists between government communication and the public will make the session particularly enriching and meaningful to those engaged in government communications. Brahimi’s observations will also underline the importance of communication in crisis and day-to-day scenarios.”

Brahimi has held key political and diplomatic positions during his illustrious career. He has served as Algeria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rapporteur to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit), and Under-Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. Brahimi has also worked as Diplomatic Adviser to the President of Algeria and as Ambassador to the UK, Egypt and the Sudan. Additionally, he has completed a term as permanent representative to the Arab League in Cairo.
Raghida Dergham is well known for her analysis of international diplomacy. She has interviewed senior international decision makers, including more than 30 presidents and prime ministers, as well as some 200 foreign ministers and international diplomatic figures.