The World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting has proved its power time after time in setting the global agenda, identifying emerging issues and challenges, and engaging leaders from all walks of life in dialogue, initiative and action. In the same way, Global Agenda seeks to lead opinion and debate on all the key issues facing the world. It aims to be thought-provoking and controversial, but balanced and fair. And it tries to make room for voices from all sides of society. We live in deeply unsettled, challenging times. Many of the certainties on which we have come to depend in recent years are in doubt. In place of trust lie scepticism, suspicion and fear. It is more vital than ever that all sides of the debate are heard – from the worlds of business, civil society and government. Like the World Economic Forum itself, Global Agenda aims to be a forum for discussing issues, testing ideas and initiating change.
Why are we so bad at forecasting the course of events? Why do bad ideas seem to catch on much more quickly than good ones? What events and developments should we be keeping an eye on that are perhaps not dominating the headlines right now? Lance Knobel takes a look in the crystal ball and…
Enlargement of the EU is a key step towards the unification of Europe as a whole, says Thomas Klestil, federal president of Austria. But the greater challenge for Europe is to develop a stronger role in international politics and to learn to speak with one voice. – With the accession of 10 mostly central European…
Corporate scandals in the United States have created an opportunity for European business to regain the upper hand after years of being in thrall to the American approach, says Bertrand Collomb. – Society and business in Europe are traditionally based on dialogue and a common commitment to long-term progress. European governments have been strongly attached…
Asia has undergone some dramatic changes in the past few years. They include the economic and financial crisis of 1997 and its aftermath, the reform and renaissance of Korea, the emergence of China as a global power, and stagnation in Japan. Toyoo Gyohten argues that equally radical changes will be necessary in the next 10…
An African renaissance, spread across the whole continent, is an alluring vision. Sustainability and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development offer a basis for making a start, but it will take more than just sustainable development to transform the continent’s fortunes. Reuel Khoza outlines the agenda for Africa. – It is no accident that the…
By 2004, if all goes according to plan, the European Union will expand from 15 to 25 members. Is this a vital step on the road to the full unification of the European continent? Or is it the start of the collapse of the EU in its current form? What effects will enlargement have on…
Russia’s economic recovery has been impressive since the country’s financial crisis in 1998. But power remains concentrated in a small number of large industrial groups. A much broader industrial and entrepreneurial base is necessary if Russia is to achieve its economic ambitions, says Ben Aris – Russian president Vladimir Putin set Russia the task of…
Economic competition between Malaysia and Singapore is increasing, as each fights for a bigger share of the southeast Asian economy. But, as Andrew Cohen reports, this is a fight in which there are likely to be no losers – From his office on the 27th floor of Singapore’s SGX Centre, Patrick Wale overlooks a fleet…
Does China’s leadership transition signal the start of a period of political change to match the economic reforms that have been unleashed in the country? Or does it herald a spell of political instability at a time when China can least afford it? Marsha Vande Berg analyzes the prospects for political, economic and social change…
South Korea’s remarkable revival from the financial crisis of five years ago is just the latest example of the country’s spirit of collective survival at work. As Yoon Tae-Hee describes, South Korea’s reform and renaissance provides a role model for other nations and is testimony to an extraordinary, perhaps unique, sense of national determination –…
