Conflicts of interest have the potential to undermine or compromise the impartiality, credibility or trustworthiness of a GR Consultant due to the possibility of a clash between the Consultant’s self-interest and a professional interest, or their public interest, or their client’s interest. A GR Consultant must avoid situations of conflict of interest, or situations that have the appearance of conflict of interest

Without a permanent office in Brussels, Australian companies and associations have their activities limited to bilateral dialogue mechanisms, or joint participation with larger corporate entities.

1. GR Practitioners should know the limit and scope of their professional knowledge and offer services only within their knowledge and skill base.
2. GR Practitioners should  seek appropriate consultation and supervision to assist in decision-making when there are legal, ethical or other dilemmas.
3. GR Practitioners should act with integrity, honesty, genuineness, and objectivity.
4. GR Practitioners must refrain from any conduct which may prejudice the reputation of the GR profession.

By Pyotr AKOPOV (Views expressed are his own)

" President Vladimir Putin and President Petro Poroshenko’s upcoming summit in Minsk will be the first in-depth meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine in six months. During that period Ukraine has become embroiled in a civil war and teeters on the verge of an economic meltdown – but officials in Kiev continue to blame everything on Russia.

European Public Affairs Awards (EPA Awards) as they are called are plentiful in Brussels.  It’s almost like Hollywood! These Awards aim to unite the Public Affairs community to celebrate excellence and best practices across the industry. They distinguish 8 categories: 1. Campaign of the Year 2. Consultancy of the Year 3. Digital/social Media Champion 4. Public Affairs professional of the year 5. In-House team of the Year 6. NGO of the Year 7. Rising Star of the Year 8. Trade Association/Professional body of the Year.

This article was written by Adam Tiffen, a member of the Truman National Security Project’s Defense Council in the U.S. who  currently works in sustainable development. Views expressed are his own. Article has been edited.

"To support its booming economic growth, China’s demand for natural resources has become insatiable. In exchange for locking up access to natural resources, China has authorized billions of dollars in loans to African governments. With an increasing number of these governments beholden to China, a new imperial empire is taking shape in Africa.

GR Practitioners are expected to increase and refine their practice knowledge and skills throughout their professional careers through self-study, review of practice outcomes, ongoing education, supervision and/or consultation as appropriate. It is GR Practitioners’ personal responsibility to determine the content and course of Continuing Education (CE). It is a threefold responsibility to clients, to self, and to the profession. This responsibility can be demonstrated by

Government Relations (GR) is the process of influencing public and government policy at all levels: Local, Regional, National, European, Global. It involves the advocacy of an interest that is affected, actually or potentially, by the decisions of government leaders.

At its core, GR is an educational process mixed in with a liberal amount of advocacy.

AALEP is dedicated to

a. to promote and protect the public interest by governing and regulating the practice of GR professionals members of the Association including