Falling Short of Global Goals: Reflections on the World Government Summit 2023

The World Governments Summit 2023 was a?captivating?event?with participants from all sectors who care about how we can work together for a better shared future. With an array of stimulating keynote speeches, insightful panel discussions, private closed-door sessions, and engrossing conversations, the atmosphere was electric, blending optimism with harsh facts. Although everyone present was committed to taking concrete steps towards a positive change, the stark reality is that we are currently falling short of our global goals for 2030.

The discussions highlighted the growing global divide and pockets of deep unrest that will continue to emerge from mounting inequity if we do not change our behavior and become more practical and systematically include all voices. Professor Jeffrey Sachs emphasized the need to start trying with deeper pockets to make a collective impact, stating that "we have not?really started to try yet."

In agreement with the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development, Earth Institute at 美国哥伦比亚大学 , was the prominent voice of the head of UAE's state oil giant ( ADNOC Group ) and major OPEC oil exporter, H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber ( Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology | ????? ??????? ???????????? ???????? ). He called on diverse stakeholders to bring in their strength and address climate change, acknowledging that the whole world is way off track. However, #climatechange is just one critical element putting us at risk, and other discouraging statistics were also discussed, such as the learning poverty rate of 70% in low- and middle-income countries, which risks a combined $21 trillion loss in potential lifetime earnings. A loss that is will not only impact the #economy but #future security.

Despite the challenges, there was a sense of awareness for the willingness of all actors to deeply examine the problems and find solutions, or at the very least, support adaptation measures. There was also an arguably inflated reliance on #technology as a tool that can assist, facilitate, and accelerate our ability to achieve the global goals, provided we learn how to leverage it properly. Which would only happen if we have continuous learning for all.?

The importance of education, #skills, and #work?as they relate to each other,?were discussed frequently at the Summit, acknowledging that individuals need to be equipped with the necessary skills to navigate and succeed in the job market. interestingly it was the transferable skills?such as adaptability, creativity, and problem-solving that were of highest concern to private sector actors. It was encouraging to hear that there was a focus on the importance of education as a human right and a powerful tool for personal and social development, and not just as a means to an end.

Considering all the knowledge sharing and divergent opinions the World Government Summit brought together, there was one agreed upon message: Just talking about the issues is shamefully inadequate – the time for collective action is now!