Establishment of regional government communication forum marks successful end of 1st SEECOM conference

Budva, Montenegro (16 September 2012) – Participants at the 1st South Eastern European Government Communication Conference (SEECOM) have established a regional forum for government communications by adopting the Budva Declaration earlier today, thus marking a successful end of a conference that gathered some of the most senior government communicators from the region.

Over the past three days (14-16 September), senior government communicators from the South Eastern Europe region and prominent government communication experts from Europe and the USA were exchanging best government communication practices, with the view to establishing a network of experts interested in learning through exchange of knowledge and experience.

The Budva Declaration, whose adoption marked the establishment of the South Eastern European Government Communications Forum, expresses the personal and professional commitment of government communicators to applying the highest professional standards and upholding the European and global values of transparency, cooperation, and technologically advanced approach to government communication.

In addition to gathering the region’s senior government communicators as founding members, the Forum has also awarded Honorary Membership to Mr Mike Granatt, a leading UK expert on government communication and the Co-ordinator of the Club of Venice, Mr John Verrico, Director of Professional Development for the US National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC), and Ms Anna-Maria Darmanin, a distinguished communication expert, at present a Vice-President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), for their invaluable contribution and support.

The SEECOM conference was organised by the Government of Montenegro, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Montenegro and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), with the support of the United States Embassy in Podgorica.

The SEECOM is part of Montenegro’s action plan for the multilateral initiative Open Government Partnership (OGP).