DUBAI – More than 4,000 delegates from 140 countries, including Pakistan,have gathered here to participate in 200 back-to-back interactive sessionson myriad challenges confronting the global community of the tree-day 7thannual meeting of the World Government Summit (WGS) forum, which will getunderway on February 10.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will be among top personalities attending theevent and will address the forum along with other world leaders on theopening day.
His decision to attend underscores Pakistan’s keen interest in theknowledge based economy, artificial intelligence, green development and theimportance of innovation for growth.
In his key note address at the summit, the Prime Minister will highlighthis vision for a strong and prosperous Pakistan and invite investment indifferent sectors of the country’s economy, according to a Foreign Officestatement.
Apart from heads of state, politicians, Nobel laureates and policy-makers,the summit in this year’s edition has also brought 30 global organizationsto exchange their expertise, innovation and technology to tackle universalchallenges facing the humanity.
Established in 2013 by Vice President and Prime Minister of the United ArabEmirates, and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum, the WGS is a global platform, neutral and non-profit organizationdedicated to shaping future of governments worldwide
Among the global tech minds attending the international summit, twoPakistanis, Dr Umar Saif and Burhan Rasool, will be sharing theirexperiences on e-governance and technology as a development tool.
Dr Saif is a globally recognized technology leader, who spearheadedPunjab’s technological advancement. His work is credited as the main forcebehind the technology-led governance transformation in Punjab as well asthe recent growth of the IT industry in Pakistan.
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Burhan Rasool, currently working as a member of PM’s Task Force onAusterity and Restructuring government, is another noted speaker fromPakistan.
For the first time, the summit will welcome four Nobel laureates,Colombia’s 32nd President Juan Manuel Santos, Daniel Kahneman, Professor ofEconomics at Princeton University, Paul Krugman, Professor of Economics andInternational Affairs at the same prestigious seat of learning and LeymahGbowee, a Liberian peace activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize for playingan integral role in bringing the second civil war in her homeland to anend.
UAE Minister for Cabinet Affairs and the Future Mohammad Abdulla AlGergawi, who is also Chairman of the WGS Organization, said this year’ssummit was aimed at providing all governments with a blueprint for nationalsuccess, which would ensure a better future for the world’s seven billionpeople.
He said discussions would revolve around seven key areas including thefuture of technology and its impact on future governments; health andquality of life; environment and climate change; education and the labourmarket; trade and international cooperation; societies and politics; andthe future of information and communication between government and society.
The summit, being held in strategic collaboration with the United Nations,International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, World Bank Group,Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, World EconomicForum, World Trade Organization, CLAD, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development,World Intellectual Property Organization and Arab Monetary Fund, wouldconclude on February 12.
Among others, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, CrownPrince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council; Lt-GeneralSheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister ofInterior; and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of ForeignAffairs and International Cooperation, Pope Francis, Lebanese PrimeMinister Saad Hariri, Actor Harrison Ford, Estonia’s PM Jüri Ratas andPresident of Rwanda Paul Kagame will also address the summit.
