Special Meeting of World Economic Forum Tackles Stalemated Conflicts, Slack Economies
June 23, 2003, Jordan
by World Economic Forum
Events that take place in the Middle East affect the entire world. The time has come to promote a dialogue in the Middle East that might help replace a period of confrontation with a spirit of cooperation.
Jordan occupies a regional leadership role in implementing political and social reforms. Among other things, the Kingdom has a peace treaty with Israel and maintains friendly relations with all of its neighbors. Therefore Jordan provides a perfect place to begin a dialogue aimed at redefining shared values jointly creating a strategy for making the world safer and more secure.
The Middle East, and the world in general, stand at a crossroads: Decisions made in coming weeks will affect the way we live for years to come. Economic growth around the world has slowed, putting pressure on many societies as joblessness rises and people start to worry about their economic future. A ripe has arrived to launch a dialogue on these problems.
No one lives in isolation any more, and decisions made in one part of the world can have an immediate impact across the globe. People share a common destiny as citizens of the world, and the time has come to remind ourselves of that common destiny.
Coming together provides opportunities for a positive, proactive approach toward events. Policymakers and business leaders want to make sure to seize the opportunity to bring peace to the Middle East after a period of conflict. We also want to seek together ways to restore growth to the global economy, thereby returning economic security to the lives of working people around the globe.
Discussions centered on four principal themes -- the future of the Middle East, Iraq, the geopolitical situation and the global economy. In addition, Queen Rania of Jordan launched a global appeal on behalf of Iraq's children.
See http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/Extraordinary+Annual+Meeting%5CExtraordinary+Annual+Meeting+Interactive+Programme for more information.