Opening of the Summit on the Global Agenda 2010

The World Economic Forum’s third Summit on the Global Agenda opened today, with over 600 of the foremost global experts from business, government, academia and civil society working together to address the key issues on the global, regional and industry agendas. In the opening plenary session in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, the Members of the Forum’s Network of Global Agenda Councils were encouraged to develop innovative solutions to the many challenges the world faces.

“We urge everybody to share their unique insights that will help in establishing a new world order and successfully manage the most pressing challenges humanity faces,” said Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, the Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates and Co-Chair of the Summit. “With our concerted efforts, we can make change.” Added fellow Co-Chair Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi, Director-General of the Department of Economic Development in the Government of Dubai: “The deliberations that are made here will help governments across the world chart their growth and development strategies for future generations.”

The world is now living in “a new reality”, Klaus Schwab, the Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, told participants in his opening remarks. “What we want to do is to look at the world in the context of this new reality.” He added: “What we are doing here is trying to reduce the risk exposure of the world by cooperating, by thinking more proactively and in more strategic and comprehensive ways.”

In an earlier plenary session to set the agenda for the Summit, Schwab called the 72 Global Agenda Councils the “intellectual backbone” of the Forum. “We want to provide better strategic insights related to global risks and opportunities.”  The event is being held in partnership with the United Arab Emirates Government and the Government of Dubai, the Summit on the Global Agenda is meant to shape the intellectual debate on global issues and prepare the agendas for the next World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters in January and the 2011 Annual Meeting of the New Champions, the “Summer Davos”, in Dalian.

In the same session, Minister Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori stressed that “in today’s globalized world, a joint approach is important. Just as our economies are interlinked, we have to adopt a common approach to interlinked challenges.” Schwab announced that next year’s Summit on the Global Agenda will take place in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The meeting will return to Dubai in 2012.

Watch the opening plenary below: