Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the seventh World Government Summit (WGS 2019) will start on Sunday, February 10
DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 06th Feb, 2019) Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the seventh World Government Summit (WGS 2019) will start on Sunday, February 10.
More than 4,000 high-level officials from 140 countries, heads of state and government, 30 international organisations and entrepreneurs will come together to shape the future of the world with the emerging needs of the global citizen at the heart.
Up to 600 world-famous speakers will participate in more than 200 interactive sessions on vital sectors that will shape the future of humanity, from climate change and fiscal policy to government service innovations and post-conflict social reconciliation.
The summit will see the attendance of almost 100 ministers from around the world, with more than 120 presidents and officials from leading international companies all joining forces to address the issues of today and tomorrow on the global platform of WGS 2019.
Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future and Chairman of WGS, noted that the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid for the seventh WGS is to provide a blueprint for the success of nations to all governments across the world.
He said that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum directed that the 2019 summit should focus on the development of human life in line with its aim of supporting government efforts to build a better future for the seven billion people.
Al Gergawi revealed that the summit will convene heads of state, government officials, thinkers and entrepreneurs to present their experiences in seven key areas: the future of technology and its impact on future governments, the future of health and quality of life, the future of the environment and climate change, the future of education and the labor market, the future of trade and international cooperation, the future of societies and politics, and the future of information and communication between government and society.
He also announced that the summit will witness the participation of prominent figures from the UAE. H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, will speak about the seven key changes that will impact the future of cities.
H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, will appear at a session titled, "March of Wisdom", while the session of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, is titled "Pope Francis in the Emirates: A New Dawn for the middle East".
H.H. Sheikha Maryam bint Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will speak in a key session entitled "Choosing a Future for the Next Generation."
Al Gergawi also revealed that Pope Francis will address the World Government Summit from the Vatican, which cements the summit’s reputation as a global convener of world leaders in forging human fraternity and global cooperation.
Al Gergawi said that the summit will attract a host of prominent international figures who have enjoyed success in various vital sectors, including Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, Epsy Campbell Barr, Vice-President of Costa Rica, and Juri Ratas, Prime Minister of Estonia, representing the three guests of honor countries.
He added that the event will witness the participation of Saad Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon, who will discuss Lebanese, Arab and international affairs and his vision for the future of governments.
The summit will start with a speech on the main challenges facing the world in 2019 by Professor Klaus Schwab, founder and CEO of the World Economic Forum.
For the first time, WGS will witness the participation of four Nobel Laureates, including Colombia's 32nd President Juan Manuel Santos, Nobel Peace prize Laureate, who will talk about leading nations from conflict to reconciliation, and Daniel Kahneman, Professor of Economics at Princeton University and Nobel Prize for Economics Laureate, who offers insights on the art and science of decision making.
Meanwhile, Paul Krugman, Professor of Economics and International Affairs at Princeton University and winner of Nobel Prize for Economics, will participate in a session on the future prospects of free trade. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Leymah Gbowee, Liberian peace activist, who played a key role in ending the second civil war in Liberia and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, will speak at a session on the role of women in building post-war societies.
The summit will draw the participation of representatives of more than 30 international organisations. Highlights will include a special dialogue with Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), will speak about the future of the economy in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), will feature in a session entitled ‘Working for a Better Future’.
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, will participate in a key session during the summit, while Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), will speak about the future of intellectual property in the age of artificial intelligence.
David Beasley, the Executive Director of the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP), will also deliver a key speech at one of the event’s main sessions on what food we will be consuming and how it food will affect human health in the future.
WGS will also witness the participation of Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International, as well as several other representatives of various international organizations.
Wang Zhigang, Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping and Minister of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, will highlight his country's vision that has led it to become a world pioneer in the field of technology in a session titled ‘The Rise of The Dragon: China’s Success in Leading the World of Technology’.
Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of the Economy and Finance, will speak at a session on the future of the global economy, while several senior government and international officials will participate in interactive panel sessions.
The summit will explore several topics related to future leadership in a key session titled ‘Responsible Leadership for Infinite Success’ that is to host Simon Sinek, a global leadership expert and author of the book ‘Start with Why’ that focuses on the importance of leadership in inspiring and motivating staff to achieve and accomplish.
WGS will also host a session titled ‘The Evolution of Leaders’ with Tony Robbins, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and global leadership expert, who has trained over 100 heads of government and international corporations.
James Robinson, economist, political scientist and author of Why Nations Fail, will participate in a session to review the causes and underlying factors of failure of states and governments, and the best ways to overcome these challenges.
In addition, the summit will host Tim Kobe, the world's top designer of service centers for leading global corporations such as Apple, Coca Cola and Nike, in a keynote session on future government service centers. Kobe is.
Throughout the summit’s duration, ministers and officials from the three guest countries will summarize their countries’ development experiences, and share their expertise, knowledge and methods in finding solutions to various challenges.
The Estonian delegation will participate in several sessions on the first day of the summit to discuss the country's experience in the development of business sectors. Rene Tammist, Estonian Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology, will headline a session on the future of e-Estonia.
For his part, Siim Sikkut, Estonian Government Chief Information Officer, will review the economic dimensions of smartphone applications in a session titled ‘Estonia’s e-Residency: A Catalyst for A Growing Economy’. Marek Helm, General Manager of Nortal, will participate in a session titled ‘The Age of Digitization: e-Estonia to the World’.
On day two of the summit, the Costa Rican delegation will participate in several sessions. Pilar Garrido, Costa Rican Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy, will speak at a session titled ’Governance in Costa Rica’. Felipe Carazo, Executive Director of FUNDECOR, will highlight the country’s success story in achieving environmental sustainability.
In a third session titled ‘Gender Equality, Women Empowerment and Sustainable Development’, Lorena Aguilar Revelo, Costa Rican Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, will speak about the country’s experience and direction in this regard.
The summit’s third day will feature representatives of Rwanda in two sessions that seek to highlight the country’s development experience. Dr Gérardine Mukeshimana, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, and Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer at Rwanda Development Board, will speak at a session titled ‘Rwanda’s Story: From Genocide to Becoming a Pioneer’ about the stages the country went through since the civil war and the efforts to revive the country’s development.
Clare Akamanzi, CEO of Rwanda Development Board, will share the success story of Rwandan tourism, and review the policies and innovative tools the board has employed to attract international tourists.
The summit will feature multiple sessions and interactive dialogues that cover important future sectors. Ryan Roslansky, Senior Vice President for Products & User Experience at LinkedIn, will speak about ways to build educational systems for exceptional talents. For his part, Steven Strogatz, Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell University, will discuss the concept of synchronized randomness and its potential to become an approach for future governments.
In a special session at this year’s WGS, speeches from Lisa Jackson, Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives at Apple, and Greg Wheeler, Founder and Executive Chairman of OneWeb, will outline a vision for the future that will ensure all of the planet’s citizens has access to the internet.
Vern Brownell, CEO of D-Wave Systems, is to share insights on the effects of technology on the future in a session entitled ‘How Will Quantum Computing Change the World?' In a session themed ‘AI’s Gut Reaction to Human Wellbeing’, Dr Momo Vuyisich, Chief Science Officer of Viome, will review the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence applications and tools to promote human health and improve their quality of life.
At another session, Dr Harald Schmidt, Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the Perelman school of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, will address ‘The Future of Healthcare: Systems Medicine’.
WGS will focus on the potential provided by technology for future design processes. The event will host journalist and data visualization expert David McCandless in a session titled ‘Visualizing Data for Better Policies’. In another session, entitled ‘Community-Based, Human-Centered Design’, Don Norman, Director of The Design Lab at the University of California, San Diego, will speak about future cities and societies that focus on the human as a hub for their design and structure.
In the same context, Saskia Sassen, sociologist and expert on globalisation and international human migration, will headline a session themed ‘Designing a Global City for Global Citizen’.
WGS will focus on forecasting the future of global trade, with several sessions covering this sector, including ‘Tech, Blockchain & The Future of Trade’, hosting Bettina Warburg, blockchain researcher, entrepreneur and educator. The summit will also include a session entitled ‘Global Trade: A Global Force for Humanity’, headlined by Michael Froman, Vice Chairman and President for Strategic Growth at Mastercard The three-day summit will explore the relationship between media and technology, and envision the future of the field. In this context, Gerard Baker, Editor At Large of The Wall Street Journal; Matthew Winkler, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Bloomberg News; and Mina Al Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief of The National, will speak at a session entitled ‘The Viral Race – Can the news that Matter Cross the Finish Line?’. Dr Erin Marie Saltman, Policy Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa on Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism at Facebook, will speak at a session themed ‘Digital Wars: Are You the Latest Recruit?’ to discuss the challenges of combating extremism on social media.
Moreover, Ben Wellington, Visiting Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute in New York, will participate in a session on changes in the media brought about by the data revolution, entitled ‘Data – A Journalist’s On-the-Record Source’.
The World Government Summit will feature 16 international forums, starting from Friday, February 8, and continuing until Tuesday, February 12. The forums will include Global Dialogue for Happiness and Wellbeing, Global A.I. Governance Forum, Arab Youth Forum, Global Policy Platform, Climate Change Forum, SDGs in Action, Arab Fiscal Forum, Gender Equality Forum, Global Health Forum, Government Services Forum, Astana Civil Services Hub meeting, Advanced Skills Forum, Future of Jobs Forum, Government Communication Forum, Women in Government Forum and Future of Philanthropy Forum.
During its seventh edition, WGS will organize several major accompanying events including the Museum of the Future, which provides participants with unprecedented interactive experiences, opening windows to the future in the most innovative way.
This year's Museum of the Future focuses on the theme of the future of human health and the enhancement of physical abilities. It will highlight many developments that appear to transform science fiction into reality. For instance, radical innovations such as leveraging 3D printing technology for manufacturing organs and living tissue. The museum reviews the journey of human evolution from past to future, under the 4th Industrial Revolution.
The summit will also include the Edge of Government Award that presents the best innovative solutions developed by governments around the world in meeting diverse challenges. The exhibition will offer globally applicable models in areas including smart mobility, healthcare and services that facilitate people's lives.
The Edge of Government provides nine innovative and inspirational experiences that represent solutions to the challenges facing humankind in many sectors, including health, agriculture, refugee integration and enabling people to benefit from the digital revolution and data security.
Over the past six years, WGS has succeeded in shaping a purposeful knowledge platform to help governments develop their ideas and tools, anticipate future challenges and find the best solutions to address them.
