NGOs: connecting policymakers to the grassroots
Introduction
Non-governmental organizations play a variety of roles in partnering with the Forum to improve the state of the world, including serving as a bridge between business, government and civil society, connecting the policy makers to the grassroots, bringing practical solutions to the table, calling their peers to account, and acting as the mouthpiece for the voiceless who are often left out of decision-making processes.
NGOs participate in the Forum's Annual Meeting, the Annual Meeting of New Champions, and the regional summits. Throughout the year, NGO CEOs and specialists contribute to the Forum’s cross-cutting initiatives, working groups, task forces, Global Agenda Councils, industry initiatives and special projects.
Key areas of NGO engagement include: Global Competitiveness, Climate Change Initiative and sustainability, Water, Slim Cities, Partnering Against Corruption Initiative, Global Education Initiative, Business Initiative Against Chronic Hunger, Global Health Initiative, Humanitarian Relief Initiative, Working Towards Wellness, and Energy Poverty Action.
Industry engagement includes: Agriculture, Food and Beverage; Energy, Mining and Metals, Chemicals, Automotive, Engineering and Construction, Real Estate, IT and Telecom, Aviation, Transport and Tourism; Health, Financial Services, and Logistics and Transport.
The NGO Advisory Group provides a framework for ongoing consultation with the NGO sector, regular communication and collaborative planning. This is designed to ensure that the Forum is kept abreast of the key issues of concern to the NGO Community, and that the NGOs derive good value from their engagement with the Forum. The NGO leaders are encouraged to express their ideas and comments openly and to contribute to the keeping the debate fresh and challenging.
Responding to Catastrophe: The Emerging Role of Business
Saturday 29 January, 14.00 - 15.00
Given the rising frequency and cost – both financial
and human – of natural disasters, how should the public and private sectors
work together in disaster preparedness and response?
The following dimensions will be addressed:
- The limits of government and industry response
mechanisms- Redefining public-private collaboration- Preparedness and long-term thinking
Key Points
Given the lack of a centralized “help
line” following a natural disaster, coordination is typically the biggest
obstacle to delivering aid to those in ...
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January 29, 2011
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011
Browse the ReportSession VideosHighlights from Saturday 29 JanuaryHighlights from Friday 28 JanuaryHighlights from Thursday 27 JanuaryHighlights from Wednesday 26 JanuaryQuotes from Meeting ParticipantsThe Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters is perhaps best known to the world at large simply as "Davos". It is much more than a simple get-together of global leaders from many fields in a Swiss ski resort, however.The Annual Meeting provides a rethinking of our systems and exploration of strategies and solutions that have positive transformational implications. For...
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January 26, 2011
Listening to the Voice of Labour
The Forum engages regularly with the Labour Leaders Community, comprised of heads of leading global, regional, national and industry-specific labour and trade unions around the world.Labour Leaders are integrated into the Annual Meeting and regional meetings, and are engaged year-round in other work of the Forum including cross-cutting initiatives, task forces and industry-specific projects.Labour has contributed to substantive work at the Forum via the Global Education Intiative, Global Digital Divide Initiative, Task Force on Institutions of Globalization, Private Equity Project, Schwab...
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November 18, 2010
Thought leadership through art, culture and sport
The Forum is at a crossroads of a unique network of thinkers, innovators and entrepreneurs whose activities provide a catalyst to Forum members' thinking.The incorporation of Artists and Cultural Leaders serves two purposes. Firstly, it provides a platform for cultural leaders to advance their social agenda at the highest level. Secondly, given the high profile of the cultural personalities that we target, it helps to raise awareness and draw attention of other decision makers to the issue. It raises the profile of the issue and it provides an opportunity for action.The aim is to integrate...
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November 18, 2010
Faith, Values and Religion
The World Economic Forum recognizes the immense importance of faith communities around the world and the relevance of faith to the global economy, politics, society and individuals. The voices of faith leaders are integrated throughout our events and activities as experts on a broad set of topics of relevance to the global agenda.In 2001, the World Economic Forum began engaging various faith communities through the Community for West-Islam dialogue, a dynamic group of business, political, religious, media and opinion leaders engaged in inter-faith dialogue to promote understanding across...
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November 18, 2010
How Will India Avert a Water Crisis?
India has 14% of the global population but only 4% of water resources, and will witness a demand for water exceeding by 50% over the next 20 years.
How can policy-makers, urban planners, companies, financiers and civil society collaborate to ensure water security to sustain economic growth?
The World Economic Forum is hosting this debate in partnership with Deutsche Welle.
As this is a televised debate, please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the session. The door will be closed at the scheduled time. This session is on the record, open to the reporting press and broadcast on...
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November 14, 2010
Green Investing 2010: Policy Mechanisms to Bridge the Financing Gap
In this report, we provide an update on the status of investment volumes in clean energy and an overview of the different technologies that will contribute significantly to a future low-carbon energy infrastructure, as well as the key enablers that are required in order to allow those technologies to get to scale. We also highlight developments in the carbon markets and global negotiations (in Copenhagen and beyond) which affect clean energy and greenhouse gas emissions as a whole. Finally, we provide an analytical framework to evaluate 35 different types of policy mechanisms designed to...
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November 3, 2010
Managing our Future Water Needs for Agriculture, Industry, Human Health and the Environment
Significant business disruptions due to water scarcity – across all sectors and geographies, and with all the associated technical, economic, political, environmental and social implications – are a reality today, and are projected to worsen in the future, as a result of climate change and demographics. Governments play an important role in helping to mitigate and adapt to the challenge, but so does the private sector, through individual company actions and through innovative public-private and multistakeholder partnerships. CEOs are called to catalyse holistic...
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October 24, 2010
Global Enabling Trade Report 2010 - Robert Lawrence
Global Enabling
Trade Report 2010 - Robert Lawrence
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October 24, 2010
Global Gender Gap
The Global Gender Gap Report 2012 benchmarks national gender gaps of 135 countries on economic, political, education- and health-based criteria. The Global Gender Gap Index was developed in 2006, partially to address the need for a consistent and comprehensive measure of gender equality that can track a country’s progress over time. The index points to potential role models by revealing those countries that – within their region or income group – are leaders in dividing resources more equitably between women and men than other countries, regardless of the overall level of resources available....
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October 19, 2010
Global Redesign Initiative
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...
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October 19, 2010
Sustainable Consumption
Each year until 2030, at least 150 million people will be entering the middle class. This will bring almost 60% of the world’s population into a middle income bracket. Over the same period energy demand is projected to increase by 40%, and water demand is expected to outstrip supply by 40%.Providing for the next generation of consumers in a sustainable manner presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Leaders can position themselves to succeed in this changing framework by redefining their strategies. New products, services and value chains can embrace "absolute sustainability".These...
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October 19, 2010
Navigating through Troubled Waters
Navigating through Troubled WatersWei Jiafu, a Mentor for the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, Group President and Chief Executive Officer of China Ocean Shipping Group, shares his experiences with growing global companies on how to weather uncertainties and navigate through a financial crisis.Key Points• Leaders must display confidence and be composed, never losing control or exhibiting irrational exuberance. Optimists move forward and catch emerging opportunities.• Compete with rivals but also collaborate with them. That is the way to achieve win-win ...
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September 14, 2010
Emerging Green Collar Jobs and Green Entrepreneurship in Asia
By 2030, 2% of the future global workforce in Asia – or 100 million people – will be employed in green jobs, according to a recent study published by the Asia Business Council.With investments in green technologies rising, what models in business and social entrepreneurship are paving the way to new jobs in economies throughout Asia?Key Points• Green entrepreneurs will have to design new business models, including new distribution strategy, to make the cost of using energy-efficient devices more attractive for consumers• Mindset needs to be changed, and promoting green ...
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June 7, 2010
New Horizons for Haiti
The devastating earthquake on 12 January played havoc with Haiti's already fragile economy and weak public institutions.
How can Latin American states and private companies help Haiti to engage in long-term reconstruction efforts and employment strategies?
Simultaneous interpretation in English, Spanish and Portuguese
This session will be webcast and on the record.
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April 8, 2010
Creating Jobs and Strengthening Social Welfare
Unemployment rates continue
to reach new highs for the decade and 200 million workers, mostly in developing
economies, could be pushed into extreme poverty.
What can be done to assist countries
that are seeking to increase job creation and strengthen their social insurance
systems?
Key Points
During the
recession, global unemployment is estimated to have risen by around 50 million
while working poverty increased by 200 million, coming on top of a longer-term
crisis in the quality of employment – 50% of employees
globally remain in “vulnerable ...
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January 29, 2010
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2010
The theme of the Annual Meeting was Improve the State of the World: Rethink, Redesign, Rebuild. In his opening address, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said that it would not be possible to emerge from the global economic crisis and protect against future crises if the economic imbalances that are at the root of the problem are not addressed.
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January 27, 2010
Jobs, Skills and Unemployment
• John Davies • Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili • Dale Jones • Kanayo Nwanze • William Lacy SwingModerated by • Guy Pierre Pfeffermann Wednesday 10 June15.30-16.30Panellists discussed how the global economic crisis is compounding the already critical problem of unemployment in Africa, citing particularly the need to focus on previously neglected areas. These included rural unemployment, higher education, entrepreneurship training, migration, government facilitation, Internet access and developing micro-enterprises into small businesses.• The face of ...
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June 10, 2009
Religion and Human Rights: A Contradiction?
Church and religious communities are often critical voices and successful fighters for the protection of human dignity and human rights. However, religion and human rights are often in contradiction to each other: forced marriages, religiously motivated terrorist attacks and the oppression of people with different religious beliefs are some examples. Moreover, some churches and religious communities still discriminate against women and homosexuals.
1) Why are human rights' violations committed on behalf of religion?
2) Is the increase of religious fundamentalism connected to respect or...
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January 30, 2009
Human Rights on the Global Agenda
Human Rights on the Global Agenda·
Cherie Booth
·
Kathy Bushkin Calvin
·
Kenneth Roth
·
Viktor A. Yushchenko Introduced by
·
Anant Singh Moderated by
·
Mary RobinsonThursday 24 January Some insights from this session:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2008. As part of the campaign, The Elders – a global association of leading human rights figures – have launched a campaign to encourage individuals around the world to sign a pledge in support of the declaration (for more information see: ...
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January 24, 2008
