AALEP IS INTENT ON BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER ASSOCIATIONS OF GR PROFESSIONALS

AALEP is intent on building global partnerships with other associations of government relations professionals in order to enhance the impact of the profession throughout the world.

Government relations practitioners have traditionally operated primarily within national borders. As globalization intensifies economic, political, social and cultural relations across borders, trade and investment transactions are affected by multiple jurisdictions. At the same time, as economic power shifts, emerging economies are becoming central players in the global government relations industry, creating new economic relationships and bringing new perspectives to public policy advocacy and global governance. As a result of these developments, the government relations profession stands on the brink of a fundamental transformation.

Emerging economies like India, China, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa,  are at the frontiers of these changes. Their impressive growth creates new demands for government relations services. Both indigenous and foreign public affairs firms are trying to seize these market opportunities. Governments strive to harness globalization to promote national development by engaging in reforms aimed at increasing transparency and accountability. A new generation of practitioners challenges traditional notions of government relations practice and expertise. Education in government relations is increasingly being addressed to demystify the profession and enhance its contribution to society. These efforts occur within a matrix of international and regional norms which help shape the contours of lobbying regulatory frameworks.   

Through the development of partnerships, we will be able to better investigate the impact of globalization on the government relations sector in major emerging economies and the effect of changes in this sector, including professional development and the provision of government relations services. We will able to investigate the impact of globalization on the major government relations service providers like consultant lobbyists whose work is contracted out, in-house corporate and organizational lobbyists who are on staff at corporations or organizations. We will be able to analyze the effect of globalization on the regulation of the government relations practice, cross-border lobbying and advocacy  capacity building. We will better understand the interplay between the government relations sector and education, and public interest; and explore how the transformation of the government relations sector affects national development goals and trajectories and global governance. In short we will have an opportunity to build bridges and to improve mutual understanding and information exchange in the development of public policy and political decision-making.