Dubai: The world is changing fast with a number of challenges facing mankind that needs to be tackled in order to sustain economic growth worldwide, officials at a global conference in Dubai warned political, economic and social thinkers to prepare the mankind better to face those challenges.
However, the world is also moving ahead without a clear leadership and global governance — and that poses a bigger challenge. Speakers at the plenary sessions of the three-day Summit of the Global Agenda Councils (GAC) told delegates to address these issues in their deliberations.
As many as 1,000 thought leaders from 80 countries have gathered to participate in 88 Agenda Councils. Their deliberations will reshape next year’s World Economic Forum, a non-government think-tank established by Professor Klaus Schwab in 1971.
“Our world will be completely different in a few years from now. Politically, you will see a new world without clear leadership,” Klaus Schwab, told the delegates at the Madinat Jumeirah convention centre. “You will see a technological explosion of giga/terrabits that will take 400 million people out of employment...”
Thirdly, Schwab said, biotechnology and genetic engineering revolution will develop new products and some of them might challenge the natural order of things and our beliefs… when people will start to question who we are.
“We do not have global governance, without leadership. What we have is a multilateral system,” Schwab said.
“A global governance system should be systematic and not fragmented and departmentalised like it is today. It has to be inclusive, demonstrate legitimacy, transparency and be trustworthy. Actions should follow decisions.”
He said there is a huge problem globally in delivery of promises.“We need to be prepared for those changes,” he said.
Echoing these, Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, said, “The intellectual elites need to change their ideas and understand the challenges faced by all of us. The UAE has become a role model for economic diversity and development and human development and we would like to share them with the rest of the world. Our success in economic development allows us to play a greater role in tackling global issues and challenges.”
Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister and a United Nation’s Special Envoy on Education, said, “The absence of an international cooperation is hampering the growth of individual country’s growth.”
