在瑞士Davos舉辦的2008世界經濟論壇年會已於01/27落幕，我想能參與這個盛會的人士應都是各國政治、工商企業及NGO的菁英，而此次仍以經濟全球化為主題但更加重視了各國和企業對於地球日益惡化的生態環境進行改善的責任和應盡的義務，另外中東以阿衝突及反恐議題也是一大焦點。以下是這次會議的Summary，明天來簡單翻譯一下順便練習英文~~
Message from Davos: Believing in the Future
In this closing session, business, government and civil society leaders called for a new brand of collaborative and innovative leadership to address the challenges of globalization, particularly the pressing problems of conflict in the Middle East, terrorism, climate change and water conservation. "Globalization is forcing changes in how people collaborate in a fundamental way," said Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1997-2007), a Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum, and a Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008. "You need stronger and stronger collaborative political leadership." He concluded: "If we are interconnected and the world is interconnected, the only way for the world to work is to have a set of common values. We have no option but to work together."
Other panellists agreed, arguing that the biggest challenge for the world is to set the values to underpin globalization. "Globalization is not going to go away – the question is what kind of globalization do we have," said Daniel Yergin, Chairman, Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), USA. According to Indra K. Nooyi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo, USA, and Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008, companies today have to be engaged in society, particularly on environmental issues. It is critical to running a business, she declared. "You cannot hold on to your employees emotionally unless you have good environmental programmes." Companies "really do believe we should be good corporate citizens", asserted James Dimon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, JPMorgan Chase & Co., USA, also a Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008.
This is true even in emerging economies such as India, remarked K. V. Kamath, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, ICICI Bank, India, and Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008. More and more companies are living up to their environmental responsibilities, particularly in developing affordable, yet eco-friendly, products and services. "That’s the only way. There’s a new path and that path needs to be explored."
Panellists also expressed hope that a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be reached by the end of 2008. "I am confident that we will have a resolution this year," said Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel, Professor in the Humanities, Boston University, USA. "This is a 60-year-old war; both sides are tired. Enough funerals, enough tears, enough sorrow." Wang Jianzhou, Chairman and Chief Executive, China Mobile Communications Corporation, People's Republic of China, also a Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008, called on participants to embrace the ideals embodied in the motto of the 2008 Olympic Games to be held in Beijing: "One world, one dream." Said Wang: "All countries, industries and companies should contribute to a peaceful and harmonious world."
"We have tremendous challenges ahead," said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum. "The mood was moderately optimistic because we have many, many opportunities ahead." He concluded: "The Davos Man and Woman are aware of all the challenges and, in a pragmatic way, they do what they can to mitigate the risks and address the challenges. They also see the opportunities in the world. But if we don’t address the challenges, even the greatest opportunities will not be enough to guarantee the future of humankind."
Among the key announcements and achievements that emerged from the Annual Meeting 2008 are the following:
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, Irish musician Bono,
H.M. Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman
Klaus Schwab, Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Cisco Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer John T. Chambers issued a joint statement vowing to make 2008 a turning
point in the fight against poverty. The world is facing a "development emergency", they said,
pledging to "work together to help the world get back on track to meet the Millennium
Development Goals".
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda unveiled a five-year, US$ 10 billion fund to support
efforts in developing countries to combat global warming –a move to ensure that top priority
is given to climate change at this year’s G8 Summit in Hokkaido. In addition, Japan aims to
create a new multilateral fund with the US and the UK to mitigate changes in the earth’s
climate as a result of global warming.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a US$ 306 million package of agricultural
development grants "designed to boost the yields and incomes of millions of small farmers in
Africa and other parts of the developing world so they can lift themselves and their families
out of hunger and poverty".
The World Economic Forum launched a landmark report on the interfaith dialogue between
Muslim and Western societies. Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue
was the result of in-depth research and polling in more than 40 countries. The report is
intended to be an annual global reference on the state of dialogue among faiths that will
elevate the visibility of dialogue around the world and strengthen efforts to advance greater
understanding.
The Forum conducted an experiment with the online video website YouTube, asking people
from around the world to answer "The Davos Question" – What one thing do you think that
countries, companies or individuals must do to make the world a better place in 2008? More
than 2 million people took part, and business, government and civil society leaders from the
Annual Meeting posted replies. Among those submitting video responses: President Shimon
Peres of Israel; President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal; President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan;
former US Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger; and rock star Bono. The resulting global
conversation may be viewed at www.youtube.com/Davos
The World Economic Forum, Forum Member companies and the United Nations launched
initiatives to facilitate further and deeper private sector support of humanitarian relief
operations. Among the programmes: Agility, TNT and UPS, three leading logistics and
transport companies, are joining forces to help the humanitarian sector with emergency
response to large-scale natural disasters.
The World Economic Forum released the first part of the most comprehensive investigations
into private equity: The Globalization of Alternative Investments Working Papers Volume 1:
The Global Economic Impact of Private Equity Report 2008. The study focuses on the
demography of global private equity deals, the willingness of private equity-backed firms to
make long-term investments globally, and the impact of private equity investments on the
employment levels of firms in the US and corporate governance in the UK.
Rwanda was designated as the launch country for a pilot programme for the Forum’s Global
Education Initiative (GEI). In partnership with the Education For All Fast Track Initiative
(FTI) under the banner of the Global Education Alliance (GEA), the Forum will provide the
platform to combine the strengths of the private sector and foundations to achieve education
for all in low-income countries.
Mayors, regional governors and the private sector launched the World Economic Forum’s
SlimCity Initiative, an exchange programme between cities and the private sector to support
action on resource efficiency in urban areas, focusing on energy, water, waste, mobility,
planning, health and climate change.
Fourteen global CEOs and company chairmen, representing a range of industries and regions,
issued a call to their peers to join collaborative efforts to strengthen public governance frameworks and institutions as a core element of their approach to corporate citizenship.
