WEF to talk African governance, stability

Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa are expected to attend the forum to represent South Africa at the high level meetings with business and political leaders.

This year the overall theme is "The Power of Collaborative Innovation" and events are made accessible to viewers across the globe on the video sharing website, Youtube: www.youtube.com/davos.

On Wednesday delegates are to discuss which leaders and institutions are leading the way in Africa, in one of the dozens of sessions scheduled.

The session brief asserts that “Good governance is beginning to pay dividends in some African countries in the areas of infrastructure development, improved human security and expanded social services.”

Thursday's session on Africa will ask leaders to ponder what the international community and African leaders foresee as a way to move the region towards stability.

The session brief says while both West and East are competing for influence and resources in Africa, many of the global challenge fault lines run across the continent - climate change, security, income inequality, natural resources - calling for a global consensus on Africa's development agenda.

When the WEF meeting draws to a close on Sunday various world issues discussed over its course will be further explored.

The WEF states:

“Across multiple domains, humankind faces troubling contradictions about its future. The number of poor has fallen dramatically in Asia, but nearly doubled in Africa; the cold war has ended, but civil conflicts and nuclear powers have increased; and the more technology connects us, the less united we appear to act.

“What are the elements necessary to rebuild confidence in the future and to promote collaboration across economic, religious and political fault lines?”

In collaboration with CNN, the public have been invited to “join a conversation that looks to the future and spans generations, interests and cultures to capture the insights, debates and discoveries of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008.”

Article published courtesy of BuaNews