LEADING EXPERTS TO ADDRESS KEY GLOBAL CHALLENGES AT FORUM'S SECOND SUMMIT ON THE GLOBAL AGENDA IN DUBAI

· Dubai welcomes back the World Economic Forum’s Summit on the Global Agenda from 20 to 22 November 2009
· For more information on the Summit and the Network of Global Agenda Councils, visit www.weforum.org/gac
· Note to the media: Should you wish to sign up for the media programme, please submit your accreditation
request at www.weforummedia.org.

Geneva, Switzerland, 20 October 2009 – For the second consecutive year, the World Economic Forum and the Government of Dubai will host the Summit on the Global Agenda from 20 to 22 November 2009.

The Summit will bring together over 700 council members of the most innovative and relevant minds from over 90 countries – leaders from academia, business, government and civil society – to address some of the most pressing issues on the global agenda. The councils will be represented by 3 Nobel Laureates, 300 business leaders, 240 members from academia, 100 leaders from civil society – NGOs, think tanks, over 50 leaders from international organizations and 30 public figures.

In all, there will be 76 Global Agenda Councils represented at the Summit, each bringing together the finest minds in each sector to propose solutions to the key issues and help shape a post-crisis world. Global Agenda Council members will explore ways to tackle governance gaps at the local, regional and global levels, as well as examine the new and continued interlinkages among the various councils. These deliberations and the councils’ recommendations to improve global cooperation will serve as the framework for organizing sessions at the 40th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters in January 2010.

“The world has never faced such a complex global agenda as we do today, when so many challenges need to be addressed simultaneously,” said Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. “The Summit on the Global Agenda in Dubai will complement the efforts undertaken by the G20 and other international organizations to address the global economic crisis. But this meeting will go beyond the immediate situation and provide a long-term strategic approach to shape our global future. Bringing together the best minds and foremost experts, this meeting will be the starting point for global efforts to redesign our international system according to the needs of the 21st century.”

Mohamed Alabbar, Co-Chair of the Summit, said: “The first Global Agenda Summit held last year in Dubai laid out the direction for crucial discussions and recommendations on concerns that affect the whole of humanity. This year, by hosting the Summit again, Dubai is reiterating its position as a role model in the post-crisis world of being one of the most resurgent economies. Dubai provides the most convenient environment for effective exchange of ideas among global thought-leaders.”

This year, the Global Agenda Councils have been tasked to contribute to the World Economic Forum’s Global Redesign Initiative (GRI). This initiative is a global multistakeholder dialogue to improve the processes and structures of global cooperation in the 21st century. Fifty Global Agenda Councils are developing proposals in the following areas:

1. Creating a Values Framework – considers the shared values needed for constructive coexistence in an interdependent world characterized by cultural diversity
2. Mitigating Global Risks and Addressing Systemic Failures – includes all eventualities and risks which may have adverse consequences on a global level
3. Strengthening Economies – encompasses all aspects of economic growth and development
4. Enhancing Security – speaks to the need for global, national and human security
5. Ensuring Sustainability – addresses human behaviour in the global ecosystem
6. Building Effective Institutions – reflects on the necessary institutional context for effective global governance

The list of some of the leading experts who chair specific councils at the Summit can be found here.

Global Agenda Councils – The World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Councils were created to further the Forum's mission and strategic vision. They are multistakeholder groups of the world's most innovative and relevant experts, established to advance knowledge and collaboratively explore actions to the most important issues in the global arena. For further information on the Councils, please visit Network of Global Agenda Councils.

Dubai TV is the host broadcaster of the Summit on the Global Agenda
The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests (http://www.weforum.org)
.