Davos Annual Meeting 2007 - Pre-Davos Press Conference (Pt4)

TL;DR

The Davos Annual Meeting 2007 was set to feature unusually broad public-sector engagement, including over 200 top public figures, 24 heads of government, and 85 ministers. Participants from G20 countries and other governments would join public-private discussions on climate change, trade, and related work processes rather than simply deliver speeches. Read on for the named leaders, participation figures, and planned sessions outlined at the pre-Davos press conference.

Transcript

public figures and politicians I guess are also very interesting to us Rick Salmons is our managing director with responsibility for public figures Rick do you want to run us through some of the people there yes sir Thank You Marco good morning governments and other non business stakeholders also increasingly grasp the the dynamics of influence and... Read More

Key Insights

• 🛟 The World Economic Forum serves as a platform for public figures, politicians, and governments to engage in interdisciplinary discussions.
• 🇨🇫 Over 200 top public figures and 85 ministers will attend the forum, showcasing strong engagement from the public sector.
• 🌐 The engagement of ministers from G20 countries is significant, with two-thirds of global economic activity represented.
• 🔒 Public-private partnerships on topics like climate change and trade are a focus, promoting collaboration and understanding between different stakeholders.
• 🌐 The forum provides an opportunity for governments and international organizations to work together and make progress on key global challenges.
• 🎚️ The level of engagement at the ministerial level is unprecedented, showcasing the forum's importance in shaping global agendas.
• 📞 Climate change and trade are two specific topics that will receive extensive public-private engagement during the forum.

Questions & Answers

Q: Who was expected to attend the Davos Annual Meeting 2007?

The meeting was expected to bring together over 200 top public figures, including 24 heads of government and 85 ministers. The speakers described participation by leaders from the Middle East, Far East, Western Hemisphere, and Africa.

Q: Which political leaders were named as participants?

Named participants included Mahmud Abbas, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, the king of Jordan, the prime minister of Vietnam, and the president of the Philippines. The newly inaugurated president of Mexico, President Lula of Brazil, President Kikwete of Tanzania, and President Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia were also identified.

Q: Why was ministerial participation at Davos considered significant?

The press conference described the ministerial engagement as extraordinary and unprecedented, with 85 ministers expected to participate. They were coming not merely to make speeches or discuss their own portfolios, but to engage across public-private sessions and ongoing work processes.

Q: How were G20 countries represented at the meeting?

About one-third of the ministers in Davos were expected to come from G20 countries, which the speaker said accounted for about two-thirds of world economic activity. On average, those countries were sending representatives from two of their top three or four portfolios.

Q: Which government portfolios were represented at Davos?

The principal portfolios named were finance ministers, foreign ministers, trade ministers, and the Prime Minister's office. Representatives from these portfolios were expected to participate across a variety of public-private discussions.

Q: How prominently did climate change feature in the Davos program?

About 15 public and private sessions on climate change were planned across the meeting's five days. The discussions included how to transform energy systems and enable a more effective climate response after the Kyoto Accord's initial commitment period expired in 2012.

Q: What role was the World Economic Forum asked to play in climate discussions?

The Forum had been asked to structure business-community input into preliminary discussions involving 20 governments. Those discussions concerned what could be done to transform energy systems and support a more effective climate response after the first Kyoto period.

Q: How was trade expected to be addressed at Davos?

Trade was to be covered through public and private sessions involving ministers, the business community, and top political leaders. The sessions were expected to support timely exchanges as discussions among WTO negotiators quickened and some heads of government encouraged progress behind the scenes.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The World Economic Forum is a platform that brings together governments, non-business stakeholders, and public figures to discuss influence and change.

• There will be over 200 top public figures, including heads of government, from various regions participating in the forum.

• The engagement of ministers, particularly from the G20 countries, is a significant aspect of the gathering, with two-thirds of economic activity in the world represented.