Oliver Cann, Public Engagement, Tel.: +41 79 799 3405; E-mail: Oliver.Cann@weforum.org
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 14 November 2016 – The inaugural Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils saw more than 700 leading experts from government, business, civil society and academia convene to discuss and develop ideas and actions that address the world’s most critical challenges. Here is a selection of quotes covering some of the issues:
On the future:
“The future is owned by those who imagine, design and implement it.”
− Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future of the United Arab Emirates
“We’re looking at the UAE as the world’s innovation lab for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
− Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future of the United Arab Emirates
On responsive and responsible leadership (the theme of our Annual Meeting 2017 in Davos, Switzerland):
“A significant part of the global elite lost the sense of solidarity when it was needed more than ever before. We’re living in a world of transparency and such a world cannot tolerate too much inequality.”
− Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum
“The problem that we have is not globalization. The problem is a lack of global governance, a lack of means to address global issues.”
− Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum
“It’s a moment where, frankly, we can’t and shouldn’t rely on existing leaders. (Digital platforms) can empower people who are otherwise disenfranchised from the political system – providing, of course, that we make sure the internet is accessible to all.”
− Gemma Mortensen, Chief Global Officer, Change.org
“Leadership is about taking hope from those who are charting a different path.”
− Ratna Omidvar, Senator of Canada
On the US election:
“You could see more of how Congress used to work, some Democrats, some Republicans working on shared goals ... Ironically, Trump, who was a divisive figure, could be a catalyst for breaking down partisan lines.”
− Douglas A. Rediker, Executive Chairman, International Capital Strategies
“No question, whether you look at Brexit or the US, what we’ve seen is a wholesale rejection of the elite, of people, power, influence and institutions. Institutions failed people during the financial crisis, people have seen almost every single institution fail to deliver, and they’re going through the most profound change in industrial history. Having people buy into the process that creates their destiny is critical. A coalition of old folks in the establishment won’t cut it.”
− Suzanne Nora Johnson, Vice-Chair, Brookings Institution
On keeping the promise of the Paris Climate Agreement:
“Apart from the US, there is a growing legion of more and more member states to the agreement and I am sure that now in Marrakech at COP22, quite a lot of other countries will adhere.”
− Joan Clos, Undersecretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
“In Paris, the commitments were made based upon the assumption that you are going to do what’s best for your country … domestic interest that reaches out to the global interest.”
− Leonardo Beltran Rodriguez, Deputy Secretary for Planning and Energy Transition of Mexico
On the need for greater diversity in leadership:
“You wouldn’t win a football tournament with a team of goalkeepers, so why in governments and companies do we not give ourselves a full team and play better?”
− Ngaire Woods, Dean Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
The inaugural Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2016, taking place in Dubai on 13-14 November, brought together top thought leaders from the Forum’s Network of Global Future Councils to generate ideas and solutions that influence the future global, regional and industry agendas. The Co-Chair of the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2016 is Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future of the United Arab Emirates.
Notes to Editors
The host broadcaster of the meeting is Dubai TV, an affiliate of Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI)
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