(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) World leaders should focus on a long-term global perspective to address the most pressing challenges across the globe.
This was echoed by speakers at the concluding session of the World Economic Forum's fifth Summit on the Global Agenda ended in Dubai on Wednesday.
Economic stability, political problems in addition to focus on education and employment generation for youth remained top topics of discussion during the last three days in Dubai.
On the last day, participants also urged the global powers not be too focused on domestic problems and also put energy for the solution of global issues, which are inter-related with domestic issues.
"2013 will be a very crucial year, with many rupture points," warned Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman, World Economic Forum, in the closing session.
Relaying the concerns of the summit participants, he added: "I appeal to the world's leadership, particularly in those countries with new leaders in place or where the current leaders have been reconfirmed, to devote sufficient time and positive energy to look after our global issues and not just to be absorbed with internal problems. Let's make 2013 a year of true global cooperation."
Concurrent to this year's summit, the forum convened the Inaugural Global Meeting of Regional Organisations, which aimed to promote dialogue, the exchange of ideas and cooperation among the over 50 regional organisations around the world.
The two-day meeting ended yesterday, with regional leaders from Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America committing to developing closer links with the United Nations and other global multilateral organisations.
In the closing plenary of the Summit on the Global Agenda, co-chair Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy of the UAE, told participants that global collaboration is essential to addressing the most pressing challenges confronting the world.
"The hosting of this key event by the UAE reflects its growing role in enhancing international dialogue, in close coordination with the international community, to improve the world's future and make it a better place to live. We are confident that the discussions held at this summit will set the agenda for deliberations at the next World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, which will take place in Davos-Klosters on 23-27 January 2013 under the theme 'Resilient Dynamism'," he said.
Fellow co-chair Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi, director-general, Department of Economic Development, Government of Dubai, concluded that the summit "represented an ideal platform for the exchange of information and experiences on a range of key issues and challenges facing the region and the world. The event witnessed the next stage of its growth with the launch of the Global Meeting of Regional Organisations and the addition of roundtable discussions and open forums for the first time."
More than 1,000 thought leaders and experts on the most significant global challenges - members of the Forum's 88 Global Agenda Councils - participated in this year's Summit, up from 700 in Abu Dhabi last year.
Among them were more than 260 business leaders, nearly 100 more than in 2011, and 253 women, more than double the number at the fourth Summit. That more than 120 of this year's participants have been to all five past summits underscored the commitment of the members of the Global Agenda Councils to contributing to the shaping of solutions to the most critical global issues.
