If president George W Bush would only live up to his own words at the UN and commit the US to fighting poverty, disaster and disease, says Jeffrey Sachs, he could mobilize billions of people in the war on terror and make the world a much safer place. – The great leaders of the World…
A forum for issues – The World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting has proved its power time after time in setting the global agenda, identifying emerging issues and challenges, and engaging leaders from all walks of life in dialogue, initiative and action. In the same way, Global Agenda seeks to lead opinion and debate on all…
Building trust – Trust is the foundation of all personal relationships. It is the foundation of all business. It is the foundation of all international relations. In our increasingly interconnected world, trust is the rock on which we all depend. Without it, there can be no respect, no security, no spirit of partnership or cooperation….
The hype about the new economy is over. But the economic effect is real – and lasting. Laura Tyson examines the reasons for substantially higher productivity growth in the US than in Europe or Japan over the past few years, the sustainability of that growth and its implications for the global economic outlook – After…
The mismanagement of Japan’s economy has caused no shortage of suffering for the Japanese people. But the “no gain without pain” argument is economic nonsense, says Andrew Smithers. Other countries faced with deflation and stagnation must learn from Japan’s many mistakes – Japan provides sound reasons for global concern. This is not solely because of…
Since 9/11, the fight against financial crime has been co-opted into the war on terror. Rich countries have stepped up their campaigns to combat money laundering, tax evasion and offshore finance. But critics say they have picked the wrong targets and question the motives. By Nicholas Kochan – From a plush office in Paris, a…
Leon Levy, a legendary Wall Street investor and financier, spent more than 50 years waiting for his own bubble to come. In an extract from his recently published book The Mind of Wall Street, he describes why financial markets and psychology are inextricably linked – and why this three-year downturn is far from over –…
The international finance industry has gone out of its way to harm its own reputation in recent years. But, says David Lascelles, we should not lose sight of the fact that financial innovation is fundamentally a productive force – The urge to innovate in the financial world is enormously – almost uncontrollably – strong. The…
Population aging in the industrialized nations is rapidly leading to social and economic crisis. But this destabilizing problem could easily be turned into an asset. What is needed, says Ted Halstead, is a complete rethink of national priorities and prejudices – New social and economic crises are as predictable as those posed by rapidly aging…
All the pieces are in place for the 21st century to be the Asia-Pacific century. But the boom – led by China – will be driven by consumers and by markets, not by governments. Asia (excluding Japan) will be the driver of growth in the US and Europe, rather than the other way round. And,…
