TUNIS, Tunisia, March 7, 2016/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
A brand new bilateral project designed to assist the Government of Tunisia to strengthen its strategic communications began this week with a three day workshop in Tunis. Experts from the UK visited Tunisia to share their experience and knowledge of the challenges all governments face when trying to communicate effectively. The UK delegation was led by Carol McCall, the Head of Civil Contingency Communications for the UK government, Alastair Campbell, Head of Communications for UK Counter-Terrorism policing, and Hannah Fletcher, Chief Press Officer for borders and security at the Home Office. The seminar, attended by senior communicators from across the Government of Tunisia and hosted by the British Ambassador to Tunisia, Hamish Cowell, included sessions on strategic communications, structuring communications and media handling. In his opening remarks Ambassador Hamish Cowell said: “The UK is committed to helping the Government of Tunisia continue to improve and to support the democratic transition, both now and in the future. Government communications is an essential part of that democratic process, informing citizens and enabling policy debate. I am delighted to host this conference where UK experts are sharing their learning and experience with their Tunisian colleagues. “I hope that this partnership is ongoing and will ensure a higher level of preparedness and an increased capability to deal effectively with the shared challenges that Government communicators face. Carol McCall said: “It’s an honour to be invited to share our experiences with our Tunisian counterparts. We face a lot of the same challenges in our roles and it has been fascinating to see how we can learn from each other. “Skilled, passionate, talented government communicators don’t just inform their citizens: they provide information to help everyone make choices about their lives – choices which help to build the national economy, save and improve lives, protect the vulnerable, and promote the international reputation of the nation.”
