The corporate scandals of the past two years have had a profound effect on the way companies do business – and on the attitudes of regulators and shareholders. Many important changes have already been made. But, says Jim Turley, it is essential that global standards on corporate governance converge in the interests of rebuilding investor…
Government and democracy mean different things in different parts of the world and in different cultures, says HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal. In Islam, God’s will is supreme. But the will of the people must also be expressed. Finding the right institutional structures and systems to achieve this – and to balance stability with development…
In December the World Economic Forum announced the selection of 30 ground-breaking companies as Technology Pioneers for 2004. The Technology Pioneers programme – run in conjunction with Apax Partners and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu – is part of the Forum’s commitment to supporting and identifying unique technology innovations. It also underlines the Forum’s desire to encourage…
Sir Philip Watts, chairman of the committee of managing directors at the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, explains to Global Agenda what his company’s commitment to sustainable development means in practice – and how business must work together with governments and NGOs to ensure that it works GLOBAL AGENDA Shell made a public commitment to…
Increasing government surveillance worldwide raises tough questions for democracy and civil liberty. Left unchecked, the deployment of intrusive new technologies poses a profound threat to individual privacy. What we need, says Barry Steinhardt, is stronger regulation to ensure that such technology is used fairly – by governments and businesses alike The vision of the future…
The asset management business faces a period of fundamental rethinking and restructuring, says David Spina. The continued willingness of individuals to invest for the long term depends on the ability of institutional investors and investment managers to change what they do and the way they do it The past decade has seen significant changes in…
We should not avoid taking risks just because the world suddenly seems more dangerous. On the contrary, says Ralph Shrader, we need to take them more than ever. But we must make a better job of deciding which risks to take, managing the consequences of those decisions and becoming resilient to the risks that we…
When six air-to-surface missiles go missing a week before more than 20 world leaders, including George W Bush, are due in town, security is always likely to be an item high on the agenda. That was certainly the case in Thailand in October 2003 when the country hosted the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting…
Sustainable development is the key phrase in the developing world, and it’s an idea that is getting plenty of media coverage. But what exactly is sustainable development? Can it succeed? And what role do big business, governments and NGOs have to play? Sudip Roy reports Over the next few years an oil pipeline will be…
The collapse of the Growth and Stability Pact highlights the economic challenges facing Europe. If it hadn’t been for the fast-falling dollar, there would have been little to cheer as the euro celebrated its fifth birthday earlier this month. Sudip Roy reports As early birthday surprises go, it was hardly the most welcome. The decision…
