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Global Agenda to pave way for wider participation: Mansouri

DUBAI — The Summit on the Global Agenda, to be held from November 28 to December 1, in Dubai in co-operation with World Economic Forum (WEF), will host – for the first time ever – a number of Open Forums, where the public can interact with global thought leaders on wide ranging topics of pressing importance.

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A number of Arab and international thought leaders will participate in the Open Forums, and present several critical issues faced by mankind. The public can attend these seminars, exchange views and interact with the speakers, and express their opinions on the important topics. “The Summit on the Global Agenda paves the way this year for wider public participation through four Open Forums on selected Council topics of strategic relevance,” said Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy and co-chair of the Summit.

“The Forums and the participation of the public will contribute to enriching the debate, promoting constructive dialogue, and adding further value to the global event,” he added.

Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi, Director General of the Dubai Economic Department, and co-chair of the Summit, said the Forums offer a rare opportunity for the public to connect with key thinkers and decision makers. “The public are now offered a chance to put forth their views on global issues that affect their lives, communities, security and the future of generations to come.”

Al Qamzi called for both speakers and the public to exploit this platform to communicate and derive the best recommendations.

The first Open Forum entilted ‘Cities of the Future’ will take place on November 28, 2010, in the main auditorium of the American University in Dubai. The session will include an explanation of the concept with a focus on the fundamentals and basic specifications for the construction and design of such cities. The aspects to be discussed include the reduction of energy consumption and preserving the environment, a commitment to environmental standards in buildings, and the use of systems and technologies that contribute to the rationalisation of water consumption, electricity and other energy sources.

The second session on the same day is on ‘Energy Security and Economic Prosperity for the Region’.

Specialised speakers will discuss energy security from the perspective of going beyond the traditional sources of energy to nuclear energy, and renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind energy, the deep sea, and others, and their role in the process of economic growth and prosperity. On December 1, 2010, the first Open Forum is on “Water Security”. The session will address present climatic conditions, global warming and the rate of evaporation, as well as define the role of consumers in contributing to the implementation of water security plans to assist governments to comply with legislation that would preserve water resources.

The final session, on December 1, is entitled ‘Education and Innovation’ and will cover the role of education, innovation and scientific research to strengthen the overall development of countries, and ways to match the development and prosperity in various fields and areas.

At the Summit, more than 700 global leaders from academia, business, government and society will engage in interactive workshops to set priorities to improve the state of the world and identify the latest trends, risks and innovative solutions to address the world’s challenges. The outcomes of the Summit will be integrated into the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011 in Davos-Klosters for further discussion and action.

—business@khaleejtimes.com