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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DR. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

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Kazakhstan President floats ‘G-Global platform’ idea at AEF

Published: 23 May 2018 - 08:27 am | Last Updated: 02 Nov 2021 - 07:24 pm
Peninsula

The Peninsula

DOHA: The capital of Kazakhstan recently hosted one of the most significant global events, the Astana Economic Forum (AEF): Global Challenges Summit 2018 from May 17 to 19.  

More than 6,000 participants from 111 countries discussed the present-day global issues in three-day summit. One of the main events of the forum was the speech of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev (pictured).

At the plenary session, Kazakh President singled out five major mega trends of the world’s development, said a statement issued by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Qatar.  Opening the event, Kazakh President said the annual forum had evolved into a “good tradition” and a platform to “discuss acute issues in economy, investment and innovation.”

He indicated five global trends and reiterated the need to establish G-Global platform under the aegis of the UN.

The five global trends include digitisation of all aspects of human activity, energy revolution, rapid global population growth, change in the pace and nature of urbanisation, and transformation of the global labour market.

“Since last year’s forum, we witnessed huge transformations worldwide. New confrontations have emerged, and it has become more difficult for states to find agreement. Distrust and unwillingness to understand the principles of an opponent are growing. This is a very difficult time for the world,” he said.

The Kazakh leader noted a new economic model entailed the digitisation not only of business, but people’s lives. “Self-taught intellectual systems managing and improving production have become common. The artificial intellect will spur a $16bn growth of world economy by 2030,” he noted, adding that digitisation, however, could also facilitate cyber crime which last year became the “most serious threat to businesses.”

The transition to clean energy is another global trend, according to Nazarbayev, with energy generated by renewable energy sources growing 13 times in 30 years. “Despite continuing demand for natural resources, their presence ceased to be an advantage.

“All big players in traditional energy markets turned to investments in green energy. Kazakhstan is not standing still. The share of alternative energy in our energy balance will reach 30 percent by 2030,” said Nazarbayev.

He said that education was a key to this end and Kazakhstan’s Bolashak programme launched in 1993 and meant to educate young talents abroad as well as the establishment of universities such as Nazarbayev University, Kazakh British Technical University, international IT University, foster the nation’s efforts producing high-quality labour.

He said that with these global trends becoming increasingly evident, additional vehicles to address global challenges beyond current international platforms, such as G20 and G7, had become necessary.

“We therefore put forward G-Global that will take into account interests of all countries, including sustainable development, fighting poverty, famine, reducing economic inequality, ensuring fair access to social goods,” he noted.

Francois Hollande, former French President also asserted US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the climate agreement was a matter of concern. Noting positive decisions made worldwide, Hollande also emphasised some decisions “raise concerns that can pose a threat to our process of transformation.”