Annual Meeting Closes With New Initiatives
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/30/2006

Participants detailed new projects in disaster relief, hunger, anti-corruption, financing for development and public-private partnerships as The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2006 closed Sunday. Founder Klaus Schwab said the meeting provided platforms for collaborative efforts so the new creative initiatives in these diverse sectors can be implemented. The panelists agreed that the rise of the developing world is changing the balance of power. James Wolfensohn, former head of the World Bank, said this makes it imperative that social imbalances are redressed.

Ancient Wisdom On Modern Questions
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/30/2006

Participants spoke on the subject of human potential in spiritual terms. They stated that qualities shared by individuals across religious divides need to be utilized to fulfill the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and other objectives, such as eliminating hunger. Speakers included Diarmuid Martin, the Archbishop of Dublin, Matthieu Ricard of Shechen Monastery in Nepal and David Rosen, President of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Relations.

Take the Time to Set Corporate Strategy For Success
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/29/2006

Ralph Shrader, Chairman and CEO, Booz Allen Hamilton, addressed the importance of determining a corporate strategy for eventual success. He stressed the importance of involving a wide range of constituencies within the organization at the beginning of the strategy process to collect input, but advised that a smaller, more focused decision-making body should carry out its implementation. Strategic planning is a requirement to ensure any long-term success, he concluded.

A Tough Take On Tehran
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/29/2006

Even as they restated their commitment to a diplomatic solution to the looming crisis over Iran’s nuclear program, British and American officials denounced Tehran's development of illicit technologies. The world needs to accept an Islamic revolutionary state, however fixated it may be on security, argued Mahmood Sariolghalam, Professor of International Relations at National University of Iran. Sarioghalam predicted conflict if the West could not. Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary of the UK, reiterated the assumption of the major powers, which is that Iran is seeking a nuclear weapons capability in order to contemplate their use.

Doha Moves to a New, More Positive Stage
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/29/2006

Peter Mandelson, Trade Commissioner at the European Commission, declared that the mood at the Doha round of trade negotiations has improved markedly. He then argued for pragmatism in handling the contentious issue of agricultural subsidies and protective tariffs. Others stated the need for higher-level political involvement to resolve impasses between countries in these trade negotiations.

Clinton Weighs In On Climate Change
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/29/2006

There must be a serious global effort to promote clean energy if climate change is not to end the march of civilization as we know it, said former US president Bill Clinton. Among the difficult issues confronting the world, environmental degradation is his gravest worry for the world today. But greater opportunities for positive, corrective action are also emerging in the form of public-private partnerships that globalization and the advent of the Internet facilitate.

Turnaround in Difficult Times
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/28/2006

How to read the warning signs of a company's imminent collapse to avoid that catastrophe was the topic of a session dedicated to turning a firm in difficulty around. The accountability of senior leadership was cited as a divisive issue when companies attempt a turnaround. The suggestion that American companies separate by law the positions of CEO and Chairman was broadly supported, but one panelist warned that hiring the right CEO would be difficult if the prospective hire wasn't also offered the role of Chairman.

India and the US Move from Relationship to Partnership
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/28/2006

New Delhi's partnership with the US is based on India’s accelerating growth and free market democracy, argued Kamal Nath, the Minister of Commerce and Industry for India. Despite tensions between the countries over India’s nuclear weapons policy, he said the nations share many values. Josette Shiner, US Undersecretary for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, said Indian bureaucracy hinders its growth and needs reform if New Delhi's economy is to fully flourish. Strobe Talbot, President of the Brookings Institution, added that it was in India’s interests to work alongside Washington to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Google, Microsoft, Cisco and Skype Lay Out their Next Big Thing
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/28/2006

The CEOs of four major technology companies agreed that widespread digitalization is changing business structures. The panelists discussed the subject at a session about the next generation of technologies that will drive the global economy. The second trend they identified is the transition from computing on the net to communication through it. Lastly, they cite the business model trend whereby a company creates a product that is free, then builds a network of users around it, such as Google and Skype have done.

Roads Can Go a Long Way in Fighting Hunger
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/28/2006

Firmino Mucavele, Chief Executive, NEPAD Secretariat asserted that overcoming a lack of infrastructure and the resulting post-harvest losses are key to fighting hunger in Africa. Inadequate food storage facilities account for losses approaching 30 percent of total African production, which simply spoils or rots before it can be eaten. International business needs to enlist NGOs and governments to reach the hungry who tend to live in rural areas on the bottom of their societies, said Anthony Burgmans, Chairman, Unilever, Netherlands.

China's Growing Appetite
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/27/2006

The governor of the People’s Bank of China, Zhou Xiaochuan, put the growing presence of China in the global market into context today. China's development is still in its beginning stages. Its companies need to become stronger, continue improving corporate governance and increase their presence in more markets around the globe. Participants called for reform in Chinese companies, specifically identifying their need to focus on delivering a return to shareholders.

Muslim Societies Ready to Modernize - On Their Terms
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/27/2006

The heads of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Jordan agreed that Islamic societies must be allowed to reform from within. They concurred that modernization is central to the Muslim faith and that it corresponded with their shared commitment to qualitatively improving life in each of their nations. A dialogue between civilizations, in particular, would augment this process.

Annan details UN reform plan
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/27/2006

The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke of his vision for a reformed UN, stating that the organization must engage people as well as governments if it is to fulfill its mission and be relevant to humanity throughout this century. He described the UN's increasing focus on human rights enforcement, which he wants strengthened, and called for the creation of new regulatory mechanisms for nuclear weapons.

Condoleezza Rice Comments on Palestinian Elections
by World Economic Forum
Special WEF Davos Dispatch, 01/27/2006

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice emphasized that the US government's position towards Hamas has not changed despite that organization's gains in the Palestinian elections. She offered congratulations to President Abbas on peaceful elections that were "by all accounts fair". She also reaffirmed the US government's determination to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for its pursuit of nuclear technologies necessary for weapons development.