3rd Geneva Engage Awards honour Geneva actors for social media engagement

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Geneva, Switzerland, 12 December 2017: The 3rd Annual Geneva Engage Awards have been awarded to actors in International Geneva in recognition of the effectiveness of their social media engagement during 2017.

The three recipients of the award, distinguished for their social media activity and outreach, are:

• The Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations in Geneva, in the Permanent Missions category;
• The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), in the International Organisations category;
• The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), in the NGO and Non-profit Organisations category.

Supported by the Canton of Geneva, the awards were based on DiploFoundation’s Geneva Engage Analysis. The ceremony took place on 11 December in Geneva.

Introducing the Geneva Engage awards, DiploFoundation director and Geneva Internet Platform head Dr Jovan Kurbalija explained how the awards have shifted in focus. While the focus was initially on the quantity of social media connections, the analysis this year focused on the quality of interactions.

‘If you want to engage, you have to create a dialogue, to listen, and to create empathy with people worldwide. This requires a special set of skills,’ Dr Kurbalija explained. ‘The channel for communication is just a channel. The message which is conveyed… could be used and misused.’

Mr Olivier Coutau, Delegate for International Geneva for the Canton of Geneva, said that what matters to international organisations today is to listen to the vulnerable, and to those whom they are trying to assist. Social media can be used not only as a voice that connects with others, but as a means of listening to others. It is this dimension of listening and engaging with the rest of the world that the 3rd Geneva Engage Awards have recognised this year.

The opening remarks were followed by a panel discussion, focusing on four aspects of online engagement:

• Assisting populations affected by crisis through social media;
• Converging International Geneva around a social media campaign;
• Analysing social media networks and identifying influences;
• Effectively communicating the message of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Ms Barbara Rosen Jacobson, programme manager at DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform, explained the methodology behind the awards, including the requirements and indicators along which the organisations’ social media activities were measured.

The top 6 organisations and missions in each category were also recognised:

International Organisations:

1. United Nations Office at Geneva
2. World Health Organization
3. International Air Transport Association
4. European Broadcasting Union
5. International Trade Centre
6. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

NGOs and Non-profit Organisations:

1. World Wide Fund for Nature
2. World Economic Forum
3. International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
4. Aga Khan Development Network
5. Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations
6. International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

Permanent Missions:

1. European Union
2. The Netherlands
3. Israel
4. Sweden
5. France
6. Azerbaijan

The Geneva Engage Awards are an initiative of DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform, and are supported by the Canton of Geneva. Learn more about the initiative and view the recording of the event.