Dubai: World Government Summit to shape future, set agenda for next decade

As the world strives to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and works to achieve international commitments to sustainable development and climate neutrality, the World Government Summit 2022 (WGS2022) will convene in Dubai.

Since its inception nearly a decade ago, the summit, which will be held under the theme 'Shaping Future Governments', has dedicated its platform to shaping the future, anticipating opportunities and setting the agenda for future governments.

The summit will take place at Expo 2020 Dubai from March 29-30, coinciding with the final days of the world fair.

This year, the summit sets the agenda for the next governmental decade by harnessing technology, digital transformation and functioning as the stage for analysis of future trends, concerns and opportunities facing humanity.

The summit will draw the participation of high-level government officials, senior representatives of international organisations, private sector leaders, thinkers, opinion makers, futurists and experts from around the world.

Across more than 110 interactive sessions and panels, an elite group of speakers will shed light on key global challenges and ways to improve government performance and to prepare for and deal with sudden changes. The platform will also explore the future of science, technology, health, and other sectors, and their roles in building a sustainable future for the next generations.

The world is counting on the recommendations of WGS2022, the largest global gathering since the outbreak of the pandemic, to draw a roadmap for governments in the post-pandemic era. Through its sessions, themes, forums, and knowledge reports, the summit will examine a wide range of urgent issues facing humanity and highlight the latest trends shaping future governments. Its activities will focus on envisioning a future in which people enjoy higher levels of well-being, good health, first-rate education, and enriching experiences.

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/government/dubai-world-government-summit-to-shape-future-set-agenda-for

E.U. Takes Aim at Big Tech’s Power With Landmark Digital Act

The European Union agreed on Thursday to one of the world’s most far-reaching laws to address the power of the biggest tech companies, potentially reshaping app stores, online advertising, e-commerce, messaging services and other everyday digital tools.

The law, called the Digital Markets Act, is the most sweeping piece of digital policy since the bloc put the world’s toughest rules to protect people’s online data into effect in 2018. The legislation is aimed at stopping the largest tech platforms from using their interlocking services and considerable resources to box in users and squash emerging rivals, creating room for new entrants and fostering more competition.

What that means practically is that companies like Google will no longer be able to collect data from different services to offer targeted ads without users’ consent and that Apple may have to allow alternatives to its App Store on iPhones and iPads. Violators of the law, which will take effect as early as later this year, could face penalties of up to 20 percent of their global revenue — which could reach into the tens of billions of dollars — for repeat offenses.

The Digital Markets Act is part of a one-two punch by European regulators. As early as next month, the European Union is expected to reach an agreement on a law that would force social media companies such as Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, to police their platforms more aggressively.

With these actions, Europe is cementing its leadership as the most assertive regulator of tech companies such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft. European standards are often adopted worldwide, and the latest legislation further raises the bar by potentially bringing the companies under a new era of oversight — just like health care, transportation and banking industries.

“Faced with big online platforms behaving like they were ‘too big to care,’ Europe has put its foot down,” said Thierry Breton, one of the top digital officials in the European Commission. “We are putting an end to the so-called Wild West dominating our information space. A new framework that can become a reference for democracies worldwide.”

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Expo 2020 Dubai to host UN General Assembly’s Global Goals Week

Dubai: Expo 2020 Dubai is hosting its seventh themed week, entitled ‘Global Goals’ as part of its ‘Programme for People and Planet’ from January 15 to 22

As part of this programme, Expo is working in partnership the United Nations and its Global Goals. The UN Global Goals Week is held in New York, but is being hosted at Expo this time, marking an unprecedented departure from tradition.

While some of the interaction will take place at the media zone at Opportunity Pavilion, several other events have been organised in different areas to commemorate the important week. Maher Nasser, commissioner-general of UN at Expo and Sconaid McGeachin, senior vice-president of communications at Expo, on Monday provided details of the programmes planned for the event.

Why Dubai?

Providing a background on the importance Global Goals Week and the need to host it at Dubai, Nasser said: “We are aiming to fulfil the 17 Sustainable Global Development Goals (SDG) adopted by the UN in 2015 by 2030. All the countries of the world have a stake in this and we are in the second year of the decade of action that we announced and we are trying to see how best to fulfil these goals.”

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