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Join the discussion with world leaders on the most urgent issues that need redesigning

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:01:51 +0100

Join the discussion on YouTube about the global challenges requiring new approaches for real solutions.
Watch and listen to what leaders from business, politics, civil society and academia have to say about issues like poverty, gender inequality and climate change, and their innovative solutions like using technology, energy and new education schemes to solve them.

Over 700 leaders from 90 countries are currently in Dubai for the World Economic Forum's Summit on the Global Agenda 2009. At the end of their three day brainstorming, they will present their breakthrough ideas on how to work together to address the world's interconnected problems.

Tentative global economic recovery raises questions about reforms in post-crisis world

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:31:37 +0100

As countries around the world recover from the crisis, unanswered questions about the necessary restructuring of the global economy require urgent attention, four leaders from business, academia and civil society said on the opening day of the World Economic Forum’s Summit on the Global Agenda.

“We’ve got a window of opportunity,” Sharan Burrow, President of the International Trade Union Confederation, told reporters in a press conference.
“The crisis has focused the minds of governments, particularly the G20, on what you need to do to rebalance globalization. It means rebuilding economies, balancing exports with domestic demand and investing in jobs, jobs and jobs. You must combine that with social protection.” Burrow called for investments to focus on generating green growth and helping the poorest people in the world.

The quality of the rebound has been patchy, Howard Davies, Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, remarked.
“We have so far seen rather weak recovery where there has been one,” he observed. “We have still not solved the global imbalance problem that was behind the recession.”

Countries will have to manage exit strategies from the large fiscal stimuli they implemented to counter the crisis, Davies said. While the private sector has borne the brunt of the pain so far, the public sector will eventually be hit, particularly when government spending is curtailed, he cautioned.

The economic recovery in Asia is stronger than it is in the US and EU, Davies noted. Laura M. Cha, Deputy Chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, agreed.

Crown Prince of Dubai addresses Forum's Summit on the Global Agenda 2009

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:23:19 +0100

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, addressed the World Economic Forum’s Summit on the Global Agenda.
He called for the international community to deepen cooperation and find new ways to manage the increasingly complex and interconnected global risks.

The global economic crisis has inspired a welcome increase in international cooperation, Dubai Crown Prince told more than 700 participants in the 76 Global Agenda Councils of the World Economic Forum that are meeting in Dubai this weekend to brainstorm on innovative ways to address the most pressing global issues.

“I fully realize that we do not live in a world shaped by ideals and I know that international cooperation requires a new international order,” he said. The Summit on the Global Agenda, the Crown Prince concluded, offers an opportunity for participants to work towards “a new vision where people, countries and cultures co-exist peacefully and equally and we work together to realize our hopes and overcome our challenges”.

Global Redesign Initiative country hearing on energy security closes in Qatar

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:03:36 +0100

The World Economic Forum’s Global Redesign Initiative wrapped up its second country hearing on global cooperation and energy security in Doha, Qatar. The two-day meeting was the second of a series of three country hearings held in Geneva, Doha and Singapore.

The 35 experts discussed how stronger international governance can effectively address the interlinked issues of energy security, economic growth and climate change. The meeting also addressed the nexus of energy and water - both being abundant locally but scarce globally - and the need for long-term nuclear security.

You can watch the opening session with Abdulaziz Alansari (Director of Industrial Security Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Industry of Qatar), Richard Samans (Managing Director at the World Economic Forum) and Mohammed Abdulla M. Al Rumaihi (Assistant Foreign Minister of Follow-Up Affairs of Qatar) here.

Watch an interview with Lord Malloch-Brown, Senior Adviser to the Global Redesign Initiative at the World Economic Forum.

The Global Redesign Initiative (GRI) is a multistakeholder dialogue addressing the challenges of the 21st century. The interdisciplinary and cross-civilizational dialogue aims to develop recommendations to support the adaption, evolution and improvement of the structures and systems of international cooperation. The initiative was launched by the World Economic Forum in early 2009 under the patronage of the governments of Qatar, Singapore and Switzerland.

Among those contributing will be the Forum’s Network of Global Agenda Councils - over 1,000 experts representing more than 50 thematic areas of international cooperation (e.g. Water Security, Pandemics, Migration). An estimated 3,000 leaders drawn from across the World Economic Forum’s industry, governmental, civil society, academic and media communities will provide input into this process through their participation in GRI-related sessions during the Forum’s regional, global and community meetings during 2009-2010. These will be supplemented by "hearings" hosted by each of the patron governments.

Summer Davos to Return to Tianjin, China in 2010

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:54:00 +0100

The Forum has agreed with the Tianjin Government, China that the city will host the fourth Summer Davos in its new downtown convention centre. The Summer Davos or Annual Meeting of the New Champions will take place 13-15 September 2010. The meeting will focus on creating sustainable growth, taking into account the economic challenges the world is currently facing. The event will provide a platform for the rising generation of global leaders to engage with the world's current crop of top business executives.

The New Champions are led by the Forum's Community of Global Growth Companies, Technology Pioneers and Young Global Leaders. Watch the highlights video of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2009 here.

Programme of the Summit on the Global Agenda 2009

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:48:45 +0100

For the second consecutive year, the World Economic Forum and the Government of Dubai will host the Summit on the Global Agenda from 20 to 22 November 2009. The Summit will bring together over 700 council members of the most innovative and relevant minds from over 90 countries – leaders from academia, business, government and civil society – to address some of the most pressing issues on the global agenda.

Some of the key sessions listed below will be streamed live on Livestream, key quotes will be live tweeted on the Forum’s Twitter feed, and high resolution photos will be available for free download on Pbase.

Friday 20 November, 10.45 - 11.45 (06:45 - 07:45 GMT)

Opening Session
Overview and Update on the Network of Global Agenda Councils, the Global Redesign Initiative and the Summit on the Global Agenda.
Welcoming Remarks by
· Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties, United Arab Emirates; Co-Chair of the Summit on the Global Agenda
· Lord Malloch-Brown, Senior Adviser, Global Redesign Initiative, World Economic Forum
· Richard Samans, Managing Director, World Economic Forum
Introduction and Moderated by
André Schneider, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, World Economic Forum

Friday 20 November, 12.00 - 12.30 (08:00 - 08:30 GMT)

Opening Press Conference
• Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties, United Arab Emirates; Global Agenda Council on the Future of Real Estate
• Lord Malloch-Brown, Senior Adviser, Global Redesign Initiative, World Economic Forum
Moderated by
• André Schneider, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, World Economic Forum

Friday 20 November, 13.15 - 13.45 (09:15 - 09:45 GMT)

Press conference - Update on the Global Economy
• Sharan Burrow, President, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Belgium; Global Agenda Council on Employment & Social Protection
• Laura M. Cha, Deputy Chairman, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Hong Kong SAR; Global Agenda Council on Global Investment Flows
• Suzanne Nora Johnson, Chair, Global Agenda Council on Systemic Financial Risk; Global Agenda Council on Systemic Financial Risk
• Howard Davies, Director, London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom; Global Agenda Council on Global Investment Flows
Moderated by
• Richard Samans, Managing Director, World Economic Forum

Friday 20 November, 17.00 - 17.45 (13:00 - 13:45 GMT)

Opening Plenary
Special Address by
• H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai
Introduced and Chaired by André Schneider, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, World Economic Forum

Saturday 21 November, 13.30 - 14.00 (09:30 - 10.00 GMT)

Press Conference - Climate Change, Sustainability and Resources
• Steve Howard, Chief Executive Officer, Climate Group, United Kingdom; Global Agenda Council on Climate Change
• Caio Koch-Weser, Vice-Chairman, Deutsche Bank Group, Deutsche Bank, United Kingdom; Global Agenda Council on Climate Change
• Pavan Sukhdev, Study Leader, TEEB and Project Leader, Green Economy, United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge; Global Agenda Council on Ecosystems & Biodiversity Loss
Moderated by
• Richard Samans, Managing Director, World Economic Forum

Sunday 22 November, 12.45 - 13.45 (08:45 - 09:45 GMT)

Closing Plenary
Rapporteurs report back on the key outcomes of the six Cluster Dialogues, which will serve as the framework for the Summit Report.
Closing Remarks by
• Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties, United Arab Emirates; Co-Chairman of the Summit on the Global Agenda
•André Schneider, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, World Economic Forum
Rapporteurs are
· John J. De Gioia, President, Georgetown University, USA
· Ashraf Ghani, Chairman, Institute for State Effectiveness, USA
· Steve Howard, Chief Executive Office, Climate Group, United Kingdom
· David Kennedy, Director, Institute of Global Law and Policy, Harvard Law School, USA
· Suzanne Nora Johnson, Chair, Global Agenda Council on Systemic Financial Risk
· Josette Sheeran, Executive Director, United Nations World Food Programme (WFP),Rome.

India Economic Summit 2009 Ends

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:51:28 +0100

India’s security challenges are no different from those faced by other countries, Palaniappan Chidambaram, Minister of Home Affairs of India, told participants in the closing session of the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit 2009. “We are no more vulnerable than other countries,” he said. “We believe that we have the capacity to thwart any attack. Should there be an attack, we believe we have the capacity to contain it and respond in a swift and decisive manner.” Disruptions of law and order and the threat of terrorism “do not affect our capacity to promote investment and promote growth,” Chidambaram stressed.

During the session, the six summit Co-Chairs reviewed the discussions of the past three days and how to move forward on an agenda to drive “India’s next generation of growth”, the theme of the meeting. On the need to address the country’s poor infrastructure, Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Renault-Nissan, said that the government simply needs to execute its plans, including the objective of building 20 kilometres of roads a day. “The millions of new jobs won’t happen if the roads are not done,” he
reckoned.

Speaking on empowering women and educating girls, Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO Officer of PepsiCo, called for relevant government ministers to meet with business and civil society leaders to make the issue a priority. “This is no longer a nice-to-have, it is an economic imperative,” she remarked.

India has to be more effective in addressing its demographic challenges, especially its “youth bulge” and mobilizing its abundant human resources to ensure that growth is inclusive. “There is a very large problem of execution,” said Shumeet Banerji, CEO of Booz & Company. “If demographic bulges are not educated, that could lead to dislocation and instability.” In particular, India must address its skills deficit, the Co-Chairs agreed.

For Baba N. Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge, India, an urgent priority is to bring energy to the 400 million Indians without access to it. This will have to be done in an environmentally responsible way, he said. He also stressed the importance of innovation. “India’s advantage is its ability to innovate especially at the low end to produce low-cost products that bring the price point down. This will propel Indian manufacturing forward.” William D. Green, Chairman and CEO of Accenture, agreed.

“There is really an opportunity to take talent the country has and deploy it towards innovation. The world is desperate for new business models – how to do things more efficiently. Green manufacturing is something the country can focus on and specialize in.

”To achieve India’s ambitious growth agenda, its leaders must be held accountable, Chidambaram observed. “The problems are not growing faster than our capacity to find solutions,” he contended. “Where the gap is growing is in accountability. We are not holding people accountable.” Considering all the challenges discussed during the Summit, Chandra Kochhar, Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank, concluded: “The irony is that each one of these issues can turn into an opportunity or a bottleneck. If we don’t invest in infrastructure, for example, it will be a bottleneck to our growth.”

India Economic Summit - Baba N. Kalyani

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:27:38 +0100

Baba N. Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge, India, discusses the upcoming India Economic Summit 2009, which takes place in New Delhi from 8-10 November 2009.

Schwab Foundation announces India's Social Entrepreneurs of the Year

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:39:26 +0100

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has selected three social enterprises with significant impact in India as winners of the India Social Entrepreneurs Award for 2009: Rajendra Joshi, Managing Trustee, Saath; Brij Kothari, Director, PlanetRead; and Padmanabha and Rama Rao, Co-Directors, RIVER.

These social entrepreneurs will be honoured at the India Economic Summit 2009 on Monday 9 November at 13:00 GMT in the presence of Anand Sharma, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Venu Srinivasan, President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Watch the session live on Livestream.

This is the fifth edition of the award, which has been given annually since 2005 to individuals that have founded organizations or companies that do not maximize profits, but benefit society or the environment. Previous winners, which have been included in the Schwab Foundation’s global network of the world’s 150 leading social entrepreneurs, include Vikram Akula, SKS Microfinance (2006), Harish Hande, SELCO (2007) and Arbind Singh (2008). For the first time since the beginning of the competition in 2005, the Foundation Board has decided not to pick just one winner in a country, but three. The Board thus acknowledged that India is home to a significant number of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs.

The three winners are:

Rajendra Joshi, Saath, Ahmedabad
Today, more than 60 million people live in slums across India, lacking access to healthcare, education, employment and housing. In 1989, Rajendra Joshi developed Saath, which uses public-private partnerships to improve the lives of over 40,000 people per year. In 2009, Saath’s employment programmes with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation placed 8,000 slum residents in jobs at firms like Tata Indicom and Kotak Mahindra. Its Slum Networking Program has improved the physical infrastructure of 6,000 households while its four Urban Resource Centers in Ahmedabad have given 22,000 slum households access to microfinance accounts, insurance packages, preventive and natal healthcare, and pre-school education.

Brij Kothari, PlanetRead, Mumbai
Two hundred million Indians remain functionally illiterate despite having completed Class V education. Brij Kothari’s organization, PlanetRead, uses Same Language Subtitling, or SLS, to improve Indians’ reading abilities. Subtitles are inserted for popular Bollywood songs, and broadcasted in eight major languages on Doordarshan’s network. Reading practice thus becomes a by-product of entertainment already consumed by audiences. Research by IIM (Ahmedabad) has shown that regular exposure to SLS increases the percentage of children who become good readers after having received five years of primary schooling from 25% to 56%.

Padmanabha and Rama Rao, RIVER, Andhra Pradesh
Teachers in India’s 1.1 million single-teacher schools lack the appropriate methodologies, curricula and support systems to educate their students. RIVER’s education model helps teachers adapt to these challenges. Government curricula are adapted for local context, and divided into smaller modules so learning is aligned with each student’s ability. Local accountability chains are established between teachers, parents and government. RIVER’s success in improving the quality of primary education has led to its replication in over 75,000 schools as part of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, reaching eight million children across India per year.

India's Key Economic Strengths and Weaknesses in the Spotlight

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:36:31 +0100

The Forum's The India Competitiveness Review 2009 was presented in the lead-up to the India Economic Summit in New Delhi on 8-10 November. The study analyses India’s performance in an international context. It makes comparisons with a number of countries, including the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Brazil, revealing significant differences in performance.

The review draws on the findings of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index 2009-2010. It provides an overview of the country’s current competitiveness landscape, highlighting strengths and problematic areas, and shedding light on India’s future economic prospects.

The full report is at here and you watch the video interview with Forum economist Thierry Geiger below.