The need for cross-border collaboration to address the deepening water crisis in the MENA region as well as urgent measures to introduce reforms in regional education were the key ‘call for action’ at the Open Forums of the World Economic Forum Summit on the Global Agenda held in partnership of the United Arab Emirates Government and the Government of Dubai.
“The
Open Forums, through the participation of the public, have proved that the
deliberations of the thought-leaders at the Summit
on the Global Agenda and the thought processes of the pubic are aligned,” said
His Excellency Sami Al Qamzi, Director-General of the Dubai Department of
Economic Development and Co-chair of the Summit
on the Global Agenda. “Forward looking initiatives are imperative in meeting
the pressing challenges of the region, especially water security and
educational reforms, which have far-reaching impact for the entire society.”
Addressing
the Open Forum on “Water Security” on the final day of the Summit,
representatives of global aid agencies said that ensuring adequate water
supplies for a growing population is the top challenge for Middle East and Africa, already the most
water-scarce region in the world.
Rapid
urbanisation, industrialisation, energy production and agricultural activity in
the region have led to water overuse and intense competition among countries
for available water resources. Speakers at the forum reminded that water
scarcity can set the clock back on social and economic development in the
region and singled out areas for constructive public-private partnerships and
private investments in global water security.
The
Open Forum was led by Global Agenda Council members Luis Echavarri,
Director-General, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, France; Rabi
Mohtar, Director, Global Engineering Programme, College of engineering, Purdue University, USA; Usha Rao-Monari, Senior Manager,
Infrastructure Department, International Finance Corporation; and Arjun Thapan,
Special Senior Advisor to the President of Asian Development Bank in the Philippines.
The debate was moderated by Gideon Rachman, Associate Editor of the Financial
Times, UK.
The
final Open Forum on “Education and Innovation” focused on the “youth bulge” in Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) where nearly one in five people is between the ages of 15 and 24.
A range of educational reforms to encourage thinking and multi-disciplinary
problem-solving as well as cross-sectoral skills and vocational training were
discussed at the forum.
Theforum
was led by Global Agenda Council members Adam Bly, Founder and CEO, Seed, USA;
Goran Hultin, Chairman and CEO, Caden Corporation, UK; John Kao, Chairman &
Founder, Institute for Large scale innovation, USA and Demetrios G. Papademetriou,
President & Board Member, Migration Policy Institute, USA.
Majed Mohsen, news anchor of Dubai TV moderated the discussions.
The
Open Forums, newly added to the Summit
on the Global Agenda this year, aimed to bring the deliberations of the World
Economic Forum Network of Global Agenda Councils to the public domain and allow
the local community to interact with global thought leaders on wide ranging
topics of pressing importance.
Hosted
by the UAE for the third year in a row, the Summit on the Global Agenda brought together
more than 700 global leaders from academia, business, government and society in
interactive workshops to set priorities to improve the state of the world and
identify the latest trends, risks and innovative solutions to address the
world’s challenges. The outcomes of the Summit
will be integrated into the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011 in
Davos-Klosters for further discussion and action.
