Several prime ministers shared their governments’ varying approaches to dealing with global trends and challenges during the first day of the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2024 held in Dubai.
A common theme during these sessions focused on the Summit’s role as a platform that brings together thought leaders and decision makers to collaborate on solutions to key challenges on the global scene.
Changing geopolitics
In his main address, Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, highlighted Egypt’s direction for the 2024-2030 period, targeting sustainable and balanced growth with special focus on raising the quality of economic growth by boosting the contribution of investments and exports in the country’s GDP to around 50%.
“The WGS convenes this year amidst complex conditions due to the changing geopolitical scene and successive crises. The importance of this year’s edition lies in identifying the nature of challenges faces by present governments, inspiring ideas to face these challenges and then moving towards adopting a deeper, more effective role for future governments,”
Madbouly said.
In his main address, Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, identified four key pillars of comprehensive and sustainable development, namely political stability, security, economic prosperity and combatting climate change.
“Wars and conflicts that raged in the Middle East over the past two decades created a state of instability that has negatively impacted social and economic development,”
Barzani stated.
“The UAE continues to play a vital role on the global scene, through platforms like the WGS that brings together thought leaders and decision makers who collaborate to discuss challenges and potential solutions,”
he added.
Another main address was delivered by Manuel Marrero Cruz, Prime Minister of Cuba, who discussed his governments efforts towards reform and development, and his high hopes that the current WGS will make a dent in the economic rift dividing the world.
“Humanity has accomplished great technological feats, but has not yet fulfilled objectives of fairness, social justice and the minimizing economic disparities, where 84 million children are deprived from school education.”
He stressed the role of science and technology as main elements of development, calling for demonopolizing technology and allowing its transfer through education and training.
The WGS 2024 will be held in Dubai until Feb. 14 under the theme of ‘Shaping Future Governments’. The three-day megaevent welcomes more than 25 heads of state, more than 85 international and regional organisations and global institutions, 140 governments, and distinguished global thought leaders and experts.
Over 200 prominent speakers will address global future trends during more than 110 dialogues and sessions. WGS 2024 will host more than 4000 attendees, as well as more than 23 ministerial meetings and executive sessions attended by more than 300 ministers.
News Source: Emirates News Agency