The World Economic Forum was founded on the idea of bringing business together with its stakeholders in the belief that common challenges could only be solved together.

In the 40 years of the Forum’s history, those challenges – like the Forum itself – have become global.In the aftermath of the economic crisis it’s clear that a return to “business as usual” is not enough.

Increased global cooperation is vital for economic recovery and renewal, and in removing barriers the Forum to live up to its commitment to “improve the state of the world”. The only way issues will be positively addressed and solutions put in place is through the involvement of business as a key stakeholder.

The Global Redesign Initiative is the Forum’s challenge to its communities to help enhance that cooperation across sectors, industries, and disciplines. It works as the intellectual fibre that networks the Forum’s communities, multiplying the impact of its activities and initiatives. The Global Redesign process is integrating the Forum’s diverse communities through a series of meetings and activities structured to promote integrated thinking and develop proposals to improve structures of international cooperation in a wide range of areas.

Nine themes have been defined for the Global Redesign Initiative:

1. Creating a Values Framework
2. Building Sustained Economic Growth
3. Strengthening the International Monetary and Financial System
4. Creating Employment, Eradicating Poverty and Improving Social Welfare
5. Managing and Mitigating Global Risks
6. Ensuring Health for All
7. Enhancing Global Security
8. Ensuring Sustainability
9. Building Effective Institutions in an Empowered Society

We capture inputs from industry working groups, initiatives and regional summits. By feeding those inputs into our expert panels called Global Agenda Councils which meet virtually and face-to-face in Dubai each November.

A final report was released at a special intergovernmental and multistakeholder meeting, the Global Redesign Summit, held in Doha, Qatar, on 30 and 31 May 2010. The report elaborates the parameters of an optimal system of global cooperation as well as a set of pragmatic, actionable steps in specific areas of international cooperation:

* Systemic recommendations – Broad guidelines and concrete proposals to improve the systemic coherence and impact of global institutions and arrangements, including an elaboration of the shared values and changes in political culture that are crucial to achieving effective global cooperation in the 21st century.

* Issue-specific recommendations – Proposals to reform or redesign structures and arrangements of international cooperation in individual problem areas.

The proposals may not necessarily express a consensus, but reflect the diversity of the participants engaged in this initiative.

The World Economic Forum has had the final editorial responsibility, which it exercised on the basis of intellectual integrity by emphasizing expertise, knowledge and creativity, and by preserving its status as an impartial, independent organization.

The Forum is now stimulating discussion around the world through extensive use of new and traditional media on the potential for and necessity of major improvements in global cooperation. The different stakeholders of the World Economic Forum and particularly the Global Agenda Councils of experts will continue to act as “monitoring boards” for implementation, and as continuous drivers for necessary adjustments and improvements.