When it comes to fighting malaria, Bill Gates and Ray Chambers are both inspired and concerned: With victory in sight, will the world&#8217;s new leaders commit to finally beating this persistent parasite?
In exclusive interviews with Reuters in Davos, Gates and Chambers both voiced concern about leadership changes in the U.S. and in United Nations bodies and what these might mean for funding and commitment to global health.
&#8220;The imponderable is what happens with President Trump,&#8221; said Chambers, the United Nations special envoy for malaria.
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&#8220;We&#8217;re just not sure.&#8221;
Falls in deaths and infections due to the mosquito-borne parasite in the past 15 years are &#8220;one of the greatest success stories in the history of public health&#8221;, Chambers said.
And Gates, whose Gates Foundation commits vast funds to global health projects, said the world has never been closer to ending malaria &#8220;once and for all&#8221;.
But with the disease still killing a child in Africa every few minutes, those eager to finish the job are worried that the presidency of the United States &#8211; a crucial funding source for international malaria control efforts &#8211; is now passing to a man whose commitment to global health projects is uncertain.
And with looming leadership changes at organizations key to global health and development aid &#8211; the heads of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the World Bank &#8211; malaria champions say the risk of setbacks is unnerving.
&#8220;With malaria there&#8217;s no standing still,&#8221; Gates said. &#8220;Malaria is very complicated.&#8221;
 
WELL ON THE WAY
It is almost a decade since Gates first dared to revive what in global health circles is known as the &#8220;e-word&#8221; in relation to this ancient disease.
&#8220;We will not stop working until malaria is eradicated,&#8221; Gates declared in 2007.
Now, half the world&#8217;s nations are malaria-free, and since 2000, global malaria deaths have dropped by 60 percent. In Africa, where the vast majority of malaria deaths occur, the malaria death rate has come down by more than 70 percent.
But there&#8217;s still much to do. Despite a steep rise in malaria spending from 2000 to 2010, it has now plateaued.
Funding in 2015 was less than in 2013, with combined international and domestic sources totalling $2.9 billion. Even this is only 45 percent of what malaria experts say is needed annually to reach a target of a 40 percent reduction in malaria incidence and mortality by 2020.
The U.S. is by far largest international malaria donor, accounting for about 35 percent of total funds in 2015, followed by Britain, at 16 percent.
The U.S. government-funded President&#8217;s Malaria Initiative has been a powerful force in the past decade, and monies for that rose above £600 million in 2016 from $30 million in 2006.
 
TRANSITION, RISK AND OPPORTUNITY
Gates said he hoped the new Trump administration would continue crucial malaria commitments, which he noted were ratcheted up by the previous Republican President, George W Bush, and maintained at those levels by President Barack Obama.
In a recent meeting with Trump, Gates said, they talked about malaria, among other things, and had &#8220;good discussions&#8221;.
&#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t say we see a huge risk of those funds going away, but (this is) a time when we&#8217;re trying to raise the ambition,&#8221; Gates said. &#8220;Whenever there&#8217;s transition it&#8217;s an opportunity. We want to step in and work with the new people.&#8221;
Faced with uncertainty, Gates and Chambers have convened a new global group of influential philanthropists, business people, bankers and political leaders to plug commitment gaps.
The End Malaria Council includes African leaders such as the President of Chad, Idriss Déby and former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete; Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote; and Luis Alberto Moreno, head of the Inter-American Development Bank.
It will work on new ways to help affected countries and regions fight their own malaria battles, with the hope that this will encourage major donors to stay on board.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a real desire coming out of the United States government, the UK government and others to see endemic domestic countries contribute more of their own capital towards fighting these diseases,&#8221; said Chambers. &#8220;We need innovative, unique and creative ways of financing this.&#8221;﻿

Malaria champions unnerved by Trump uncertainty at crucial time

Leaders from business and policy-making are not expecting a return to 1930s-style trade war, despite the populist backlash in parts of the world against globalization and free trade.
Nevertheless, the reality is that nationalism and protectionism are on the rise globally and the case for globalization needs to be made, agreed panellists in a session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.   “There is no winner in a trade war,” stressed Min Zhu, President, National Institute of Financial Research, People&#8217;s Republic of China. Indeed, raising tariff barriers on both sides would cut China’s annual GDP by around one-third and US GDP by one-half. Rhetoric coming out of the incoming US administration is concerning, he added. “China will continue to support globalization and is willing to work with all countries,” he said.   “Protectionism is rising and that is worrying,” said Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Trade at the European Commission, Brussels. Trade is the best tool we have to fight poverty and promote growth. “However trade needs to be more inclusive, transparent and values-based,” she added.   David M. Cote, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Honeywell International, stressed the need to learn the lessons of history. “Since the Phoenicians, we’ve known that trade between countries raises the standard of living,” he said. We just need to find a way to make it work, he added. He said it is important not to take political rhetoric at face value and, instead, suggests a wait-and-see approach.   David Abney, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, UPS, USA, also does not foresee a trade war. With so much to lose, cooler heads will prevail, he said. “Trade is not a zero-sum game,” he added. Nevertheless, leaders have not done a good enough job communicating the aggregate benefit of open trade and globalization. “We need to do much more to equip displaced workers with new jobs and 21st-century skills,” he said.   “We should not talk ourselves into a trade war,” stressed Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Geneva. He emphasized the need to deliver positive news on trade. Periodically, we must deliver important breakthroughs, he said, such as the Bali 2013 Trade Facilitation Agreement, which increased global exports by around $1.3 trillion.
 The 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is taking place on 17-20 January in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, under the theme Responsive and Responsible Leadership. More than 3,000 participants from nearly 100 countries are participating in over 400 sessions.
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Trade: Best tool to fight poverty and promote growth

In a session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said his priority at the UN would be reform of the organization’s peace strategy and architecture to recalibrate focus towards prevention – and not just resolution – of conflict. Pointing out that peace-keeping consumes over 70% of the UN’s budget, he said, “Today, most of our operations take place in countries where there is no peace to keep. Peace-keepers become, inevitably, parties to the conflict.” By preventing conflicts and helping countries that finally emerge from conflict, the UN will be able to limit its peace-keeping role.   Guterres, who assumed office on 1 January 2017, said his efforts at conflict prevention and resolution would not be limited to taking diplomatic action, but would attempt a comprehensive approach based on the UN’s core principles of ensuring peace, security, sustainable development and human rights. “The best prevention is sustainable and inclusive development,” he said, pointing out that while the world is witnessing unparalleled technological progress, increasing volumes of trade, reduction of poverty and progress in living conditions, inequality has increased substantially. Meanwhile, the globalization of communication has made everyone aware of rising inequality, leading to frustration and fuelling conflict.   The Secretary-General pointed out that multilateral governance is as important in a multipolar world as in the unipolar system that has existed until recently, recalling that the World Wars occurred because there was not enough strength in the international institutions when competing centres of power emerged.   Having served on the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHCR) for 10 years before his current appointment, Guterres said that it is unfortunate that 2016 saw the closing of borders and disintegration of the compact on refugee protection that obligated countries to protect those fleeing persecution in their home countries. He said the UN General Assembly is attempting a renewed global compact on refugee protection, which needs solidarity particularly from countries that form the first line of reception. Guterres said that countries must take a fresh look at migration, which is here to stay, and is part of a solution and not a problem. It needs to be managed better, and stronger international cooperation is needed to make migration painless and a force of good for both migrants and receiving communities.   Guterres expressed optimism that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change will re-energize the UN and mobilize governments, businesses, communities and civil society to form new partnerships. He underlined the need for partnering with business, pointing out that the Sustainable Development Goals offer a return on investment of $30 billion annually. He stressed that the Fourth Industrial Revolution offers opportunity for creating a new platform for partnership at the higher level, which is crucial to deal with such advances as genetic engineering, artificial intelligence and cyberspace, for which dialogue is important.   He also reiterated his resolve to reform the management of the UN, including changing rules on staffing and budgeting, for instance, as well as decentralizing and streamlining systems to make the UN a more nimble, efficient and effective organization.   The 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is taking place on 17-20 January in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, under the theme Responsive and Responsible Leadership. More than 3,000 participants from nearly 100 countries will participate in over 400 sessions. ﻿

UN to focus more on conflict and crisis prevention

Nigeria has ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), making it the 107th World Trade Organisation (WTO) member to do so. Only three more ratifications from members are needed to achieve the two-third threshold that will bring the TFA into force.
 Nigeria&#8217;s instrument of acceptance was submitted to the WTO today by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah (<a href="http://www.fmiti.gov.ng/">www.FMITI.gov.ng</a>).
 Enelamah met with WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to mark the deposit.
 “Nigeria&#8217;s ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement is a reflection of our commitment to the WTO and a rules-based economy. It is evidence of President Muhammadu Buhari&#8217;s commitment to rapidly implement his presidential initiative on the creation of an enabling environment for business,” Enelamah said.
 “Nigeria would like to see a strengthened WTO that reflects the development principles of developing countries like Nigeria and we praise the effectiveness of DG Azevêdo in this regard,” he added.
 On November 10, 2014, Nigeria submitted its Category A notification to the WTO outlining which substantive provisions of the TFA it intends to implement upon entry into force of the Agreement.
 The TFA will enter into force once two-thirds of the WTO membership has formally accepted the Agreement and ratification is a means of expression for a country to be legally bound by a treaty.
 Concluded at the WTO’s 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference, the TFA contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. It further contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity building in this area.
 According to a 2015 study carried out by WTO economists, full implementation of the TFA would reduce members’ trade costs by an average of 14.3 per cent, with developing countries having the most to gain. The TFA also has the ability to reduce the time to import goods by over a day and a half while also reducing time to export by almost two days, representing a reduction of 47 per cent and 91 per cent respectively over the current average. The TFA also has the potential to increase global merchandise exports by up to $1 trillion.
 In addition to Nigeria, some other African countries that have ratified are Botswana, Niger, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Zambia, Lesotho, Mali, Senegal, Swaziland, Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique.
 The TFA broke new ground for developing and least-developed countries in the way it will be implemented. For the first time in WTO history, the requirement to implement the Agreement was directly linked to the capacity of the country to do so. In addition, the Agreement states that assistance and support should be provided to help them achieve that capacity.
 A Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility (TFAF) was also created at the request of developing and least-developed country members to help ensure that they receive the assistance needed to reap the full benefits of the TFA and to support the ultimate goal of full implementation of the new agreement by all members.

Nigeria ratifies the Trade Facilitation Agreement

<div class="event-banner"><a href="https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2017">This article is part of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017</a></div>
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Watch a Special Address by Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from the World Economic Forum&#8217;s Annual Meeting 2017 <a href="https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2017/sessions/special-address-by-theresa-may-prime-minister-of-the-united-kingdom">here</a>.
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It’s recently become fashionable to worry that the fabric of democracy is being undermined as people feel left behind by globalization and automation. I think these fears are to some extent well founded. But this isn’t a new problem: it goes back at least as far as the 1980s. Our failure to recognize it then, and act on it since, is why it has now reached crisis proportions.
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Are there lessons we could learn from those decades-long failures of policy? Yes. Will we learn them? Perhaps not, although there are a few promising signs.
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The most fundamental lesson is that to address a problem, you first need to notice it. One of the striking features of the Brexit vote, and the response in some other places to various manifestations of rising populism, has been the surprise of many voters in wealthy, cosmopolitan cities at discovering how differently some of their fellow citizens are thinking.
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These tend to be people living in towns and smaller cities where traditional jobs began to disappear a generation ago and have never been adequately replaced. Whole communities have experienced their real incomes stagnating or falling since well before the financial crisis.﻿
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A decade ago, Benjamin Friedman made the case in The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth that democracy requires a growing economy to lubricate the necessary give and take. When people see their own lives improving, they tend to be sanguine about others’ lives improving more quickly. However, when their own living standards have declined, and they expect their children’s to be even worse, resentment against others who are doing better is inevitable.
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For at least three decades, since automation and globalization started radically changing industry, whole swathes of geography have been struggling even as economies have grown overall. For the most part, this has barely registered on policy-makers’ radars.
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Statistics existed that could have alerted us to the brewing crisis – but nobody was looking. It took Thomas Piketty, in his 2014 work Capital, to put in the huge amount of effort necessary to make the data clearly tell the story of how many workers were being left behind.
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But all Piketty has done is start the conversation: we still need to develop a serious policy response. It’s not too late to start doing what we should have been doing since the 1980s &#8211; essentially, taking regional policy much more seriously. I see three main elements to this:
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<h2 class="st__content-block st__content-block--heading">Infrastructure</h2>
Large cities will always be the best incubators of economic growth, because the more people you have in one place, the easier it is for their knowledge to spread to each other. But we can narrow the natural disadvantage of smaller cities and towns by improving the infrastructure that connects them to each other.
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This recommendation implies making fast broadband universal, but it also points to the need for better transport, like high-speed rail, because virtual and physical communication are complements, not substitutes.﻿
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<h2 class="st__content-block st__content-block--heading">Education</h2>
I claim no expertise in how we should be educating our children for the technological state of the world they will face when they graduate, but I am fairly certain we’re currently getting it wrong. Most schools still resemble factories for turning children into expensive and not very good computers.
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One obvious and much discussed improvement would be teaching more coding – something we struggle with, partly because we don’t have enough teachers with the necessary skills. Another improvement would be to help children develop the human skills that machines seem furthest away from mastering, such as creativity in problem solving.﻿
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<h2 class="st__content-block st__content-block--heading">Devolved power</h2>
Every region is different in terms of what jobs it could create, and the kind of education it needs, which brings me to the final priority: giving local levels of government more power. If education policy is being set by a bureaucrat in a distant city, it can’t reasonably be expected to equip students with the appropriate skills for the local economy.
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The same is true of other policy areas. One clear lesson of last year’s electoral shocks is how many people felt a lack of agency. They see decisions that shape their lives being taken by people who aren’t like them, in places that feel far away, whether in central banks, multinational boardrooms or booming capital cities, and seem disconnected from their hinterlands. During the UK referendum campaign the slogan that resonated most was the promise to “take back control”.
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If part of what’s undermining democracy is people feeling disconnected from power, part of the answer must be looking for ways to return power closer to people.
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<h2 class="st__content-block st__content-block--heading">Public sector investment and political will</h2>
All of this is easier said than done. It would require a very serious redirection of resources to create opportunities in the regions or towns that have been left behind – high quality education and infrastructure do not come cheap. In addition, the initiative needs to come from the public sector, because public capital is the only kind of capital people in left-behind regions can access.
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Some may see this as unrealistic given current fiscal challenges, but the problem is less about resources than political will. Get serious about ending tax breaks for corporations and wealthy individuals and the money for investment could be found.﻿
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Globalisation has left people behind – this is what we should do about it

At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017, ministers of G20 countries called on members to continue on the path of inclusive growth, warning against protectionism. “If you want to get more inclusive growth, you need more free trade,” said Wolfgang Schäuble, Federal Minister of Finance of Germany, which holds the G20 presidency. Schäuble added that the G20 should be redoubling efforts to promote inclusive growth as part of free trade.   Nicolas Dujovne, Minister of Treasury of Argentina, said that, after being closed to international trade, his country will embrace globalization. “The new administration is opening the economy and wants to open up and receive the benefits of globalization to generate more inclusive growth,” he said, acknowledging that trying to avoid competition and openness is not good for Argentina. Argentina will take over the G20 presidency after Germany.   Mehmet Şimşek, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, said that protectionism is bad for global growth. He added that inclusive growth – a key focus of the 2015 Turkish G20 presidency – is important for creating jobs and reducing income inequality. “Evidence shows that inequalities constrain global growth,” he said. Despite a drop in the value of the Turkish lira, he reassured investors that the fundamentals are still there.   While too early to comment on the incoming US administration’s policies, Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Finance of South Africa, said that, he expects the US to continue to play a key role in enabling global growth and creating the right framework for inclusivity. “Collective determination can lift global growth and ensure all economies benefit at the right time,” he said.   Responding to a warning from Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to not threaten Britain for leaving the European Union, Schäuble countered, “We don’t’ want to punish the UK [for Brexit].” He explained: “We’re not happy with the decision and I don’t think it’s good for the UK or Europe … We need to minimize the damage to the EU and UK.” Schäuble added: “If you want to make our economies stable, we all agree the direction is for more growth inclusiveness and sustainability.”   The 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is taking place on 17-20 January in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, under the theme Responsive and Responsible Leadership. More than 3,000 participants from nearly 100 countries will participate in over 400 sessions. ﻿

Ministers call on G20 to aim for inclusive growth from WEF

<a href="http://gavi.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3e72d00b5705ce6f4def92fa1&amp;id=df9bf7beb0&amp;e=15ee1deaa5" target="_blank">Google.org</a> and Gavi announced a new partnership today to help tech start-up <a href="http://gavi.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e72d00b5705ce6f4def92fa1&amp;id=8e6830660a&amp;e=15ee1deaa5" target="_blank">Nexleaf Analytics</a> strengthen vaccine cold chain equipment for developing countries.
Google.org’s contribution of US$ 2 million, which will be matched by the <a href="http://gavi.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e72d00b5705ce6f4def92fa1&amp;id=ab244afdbe&amp;e=15ee1deaa5" target="_blank">Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation</a>’s funding to the <a href="http://gavi.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3e72d00b5705ce6f4def92fa1&amp;id=e9aa21e678&amp;e=15ee1deaa5" target="_blank">Gavi Matching Fund</a>, will be used to help countries to make evidence-based decisions on the purchase and maintenance of vaccine refrigerators.
 Over the next years the volume of vaccines in Gavi-supported countries is expected to rise significantly. Vaccines are highly sensitive to high and low temperatures, and <a href="http://gavi.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e72d00b5705ce6f4def92fa1&amp;id=70d0d409ab&amp;e=15ee1deaa5" target="_blank">high-performing and well-maintained cold chain technologies are essential for ensuring vaccine potency</a>.
 “The Vaccine Alliance plays a pivotal role in encouraging innovation in immunisation and health system strengthening”, said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi. “Many health facilities in Gavi-supported countries lack the equipment they need to keep vaccines safe and efficient. With support from private sector partners like Google, innovators like Nexleaf Analytics can help us modernise the cold chain”.
 “Nexleaf’s use of innovative, low-cost sensor technology to support data-driven decision making is the kind of cutting edge work we need to address big global challenges like vaccine delivery,” said Jacquelline Fuller, Director of Google.org. “This new partnership will drive more impact at scale, helping to ensure safe vaccines for everyone.”
 To help developing country governments make informed decisions about their cold chain equipment needs, Nexleaf will create an analytics framework that will aggregate data from every point of the health system to improve vaccine cold chain performance. This will yield useful real-time data on cold chain performance and inform best practices across all countries.
Easy access to key analytics will enable health system personnel to take action to procure and maintain the equipment necessary to safeguard and amplify their resources and investments in immunisation.
 “Objective, real-time data paired with targeted analytics provides visibility into root causes of cold chain failures in the field, which allows for prioritization of resources, efficient repairs, and informed procurement” said Nithya Ramanathan, President and Co-Founder of Nexleaf.
 The new collaboration is a result of Gavi’s <a href="http://gavi.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e72d00b5705ce6f4def92fa1&amp;id=20ba31b8d8&amp;e=15ee1deaa5" target="_blank">INFUSE platform</a> (Innovation for uptake, scale and equity in immunisation) which connects private sector partners and funders with high-tech innovators. <a href="http://gavi.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3e72d00b5705ce6f4def92fa1&amp;id=d9facb9238&amp;e=15ee1deaa5" target="_blank">Launched at the 2016 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting</a>, INFUSE helps to find solutions to challenges that have led to almost 19 million children per year not receiving a full course of the most basic vaccines.
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Google & Gavi partner to scale up innovations for vaccine delivery

Two days before stepping down from office, US Vice-President Joseph R. Biden called on the United States and Europe to confirm the transatlantic alliance and continue to work together to defend the liberal international order that has brought stability and peace in Europe since the end of World War II.   “History has proven that the defence of free nations in Europe has always been America’s fight,” Biden said in a special address to participants on the second day of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. “The United States should fulfil our historic responsibility as the indispensible nation, but we have never been able to lead alone. It is only through championing the liberal international order that we will retain our position of leadership.” Noted Biden: “There will be a new president in the US, but the challenges and choices we make as an international community do not hinge exclusively on Washington’s leadership. Whether we reinforce the ties that bind us or they unravel, these choices will be made by every single nation.”   Recognizing that recent economic and social challenges in the US and Europe have allowed nationalist and populist forces to capitalize on citizens’ concerns, Biden rejected the politics of fear. “Impulses to hunker down, to build walls, are precisely the wrong answer,” he argued. “We can and we must take action to mitigate the economic trends that are stoking unrest in so many advanced economies and undermining people’s basic sense of dignity.”   Economic stresses that are leading to the hollowing out of the middle class and the social disruptions caused by technological change have to be addressed, Biden told participants. Unskilled workers are losing their jobs, while higher-paid skilled workers are getting paid more and more. “Globalization has not been an unalloyed good,” the vice-president said. “It has deepened the rift between those racing ahead at the top and those hanging on in the middle or falling to the bottom.” He added: “We cannot undo the changes that technology has wrought in our world, nor should we try.”   The complaints of those who feel that they have been left behind are legitimate, Biden said. “Continuing education whether you are an astrophysicist or working on an assembly line is going to be required.” Tax reforms will also be necessary so everyone pays their fair share. “The top 1% is not carrying their weight,” Biden remarked. Retreating from the world, however, is not a solution, he insisted. “We cannot rout fear with retrenchment.” While the US has not always been its perfect defender, “we need urgently to defend the liberal international order – to sustain it.”   In his last official speech as US Vice-President, Biden said that he had come to Davos to issue a valedictory call for Europe and the US to come together and renew the “fight for democracy wherever it is under threat”. He underscored the importance of European unity and the integrity of the European Union, which he said is in America’s interest. Biden stressed that the transatlantic alliance is of utmost importance and that “the American commitment to NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is thoroughly bipartisan” in the support it has in Washington. He described NATO as the “single greatest bulwark of our transatlantic partnership.” ﻿

Biden issues call for Europe and the US to defend the Liberal International Order

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“In the last few years, progress has slowed down,” said Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington DC, adding that gender inequality is not conducive to good inclusive economic growth.
According to the Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2016, the slowdown is partly due to chronic imbalances in salaries and labour force participation.
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Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, said that women should have the opportunity to be in positions based on merit and not quotas, but admitted that it may take quotas to change the situation. “I don’t think it will happen unless there are quotas,” she said. Lagarde added that gender quotas are in place at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
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Robert E. Moritz, Global Chairman, PricewaterhouseCoopers International, PwC, USA, a strong advocate of gender equality in the workplace, stressed that disruptive leadership is needed to improve diversity in the boardroom. He recommended, however, that gender programmes within a company are the way to go as opposed to quotas.
PwC is a supporter of the UN HeForShe initiative to promote gender equality around the world. But Moritz cautioned: “If males are not in the conversation, you will miss it [reducing the gender gap].”
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Cynthia Castro, Vice-President, RBA &#8211; Reinventing Business for All, Costa Rica, agreed. “Gender inequality affects men because they think it is an issue about women,” she said. Castro also underlined the importance of addressing gender bias in the recruitment process, paternity leave and equal parenting, and educating consumers. “You can’t be gender-blind in 2017; you have to be gender-smart.”
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Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Documentary Filmmaker, SOC Films, Pakistan, and a Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017, said she took offense when people labelled her a female filmmaker. “I am a filmmaker, not a female filmmaker. What’s a female filmmaker?” The award-winning documentary maker also credited technology for improving women’s lives and business opportunities. “Women are starting their own businesses using social media, forming networks online.”
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Mortiz added that technology is useful to manage the balance of professional activities with family responsibilities, and provides data to identify gender problems within a company or organization. “With this information, we can change policies and get to individuals from that information to have an intervention.” At a more basic level, de Saint Malo de Alvarado said that mobile phones can provide family planning information for rural women in developing countries who never previously had access.
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The 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is taking place on 17-20 January in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, under the theme Responsive and Responsible Leadership. More than 3,000 participants from nearly 100 countries will participate in over 400 sessions.﻿
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Closing the gender gap through quotas and technology

The political earthquakes of 2016 have upended conventional thinking about the global economy and have ironically brightened the outlook, according to new analysis released today at the World Economic Forum in Davos by IHS Markit (Nasdaq:INFO), the world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions.  Global growth is  expected to increase from 2.5 percent in 2016 to 2.8 percent in 2017 and 3.1 percent in 2018.
“In 2017, the global economy will see a rebound in growth for first time since 2014,” said <a href="https://twitter.com/N_Behravesh">Nariman Behravesh</a>, chief economist, <a href="https://ihsmarkit.com/">IHS Markit</a>. “The expectation that the incoming Trump administration will enact sizeable fiscal stimulus has increased optimism about the U.S. and the global economies. U.S. stock indexes are at record highs and interest rates and the dollar are rising. Data such as IHS Markit’s PMI surveys are already pointing to 2017 starting on a solid footing, with growth at the end of 2016 having gained momentum.”
Emerging markets may finally get a break
“Emerging markets have really struggled in the past few years,” Behravesh said. “But, a growing global economy will mean that emerging markets can finally take a breath.” Economic fundamentals in most emerging markets have improved in the past couple of years and, with the exception of China, overall debt ratios are mostly down.  Commodity prices are rising and both consumer and business sentiment have improved. This means that these economies will be able to enjoy the fruits of a more upbeat global outlook.
Protectionist populism could rain on the parade 
“Unfortunately, political and policy uncertainties as well as risks are higher now than they were a year ago,” Behravesh said at the World Economic Forum. “The rise of anti-globalization movements in the U.S. and Europe could result in policies that hurt growth. In particular, a trade war could push the U.S. and global economies into recession.”
However, business-friendly policies (including lower corporate taxes and a roll-back of regulation) could boost both short-term and long-term growth, the IHS Markit analysis said. “Based on recent statements by President-elect Trump, his advisors and Congressional leaders, IHS Markit believes that the latter scenario is more likely than the former,” Behravesh said.
The mood in Davos
“Compared with 2016, the mood in Davos this year can best be characterized as a mixture of anticipation and anxiety,” Behravesh said. “On the one hand, the global economic outlook is a little brighter. On the other hand, the rise of anti-establishment, populist sentiment in both the United States and Europe is a huge challenge for global leaders. Whether “pro-growth populism” or “protectionist populism” becomes the dominant theme of the next few years will depend crucially on responsive and responsible leadership.”
“There is a lot of optimism at Davos this year about the role of new technologies across industries,” said Lance Uggla, president of IHS Markit. “Applying new kinds of data in smarter ways can lead to more intelligent investment and risk management. Advanced analytics help companies better understand the market, driving innovation and disruption. Across industries, I sense real excitement about the new environment that we are seeing in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”﻿

Global Growth to Rise as Political Earthquakes Ironically Unearth Brighter Outlook

The coming ‘<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/">Fourth Industrial Revolution</a>’ is set to drive the convergence of technologies that blur the lines between the physical, digital and biological spectrums, but if access to reliable energy, banking and the internet are neglected, 30 percent of the world’s population are in danger of being left behind.
To ensure that these basic economic tools don’t go overlooked amongst responsive and responsible leaders at this year’s <a href="https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2017">World Economic Forum Annual Meeting</a>, <a href="http://www.dlight.com/">d.light</a> co-founder and CEO Ned Tozun plans to discuss progress of decentralized energy systems for those living at the bottom of the pyramid with leaders working to improve the state of the world. Throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America, this revolution is taking hold and providing economic benefit to local populations.﻿
<?UMBRACO_MACRO brightcove="5297914303001" macroAlias="BrightcoveEmbed" />
 
Habitual spending on kerosene, candles, generators and other fossil fuel-powered energy sources creates a massive drain on economic and social development. Solar-powered products offer safer, less expensive, more reliable, and higher quality energy solutions. In eight short years, transformations in off-grid solar have led to a significant improvement in the delivery of energy access. As of June 2016, <a href="https://www.gogla.org/sites/www.gogla.org/files/recource_docs/global_off-grid_solar_market_report_jan-june_2016_public.pdf">100 million people have moved off of kerosene</a> and other fossil fuel sources for lighting, resulting in $4.33 billion in energy-related savings.
“Progress in energy access through off-grid solar can catalyze a chain of events that move the developing world into new forms of financial inclusion and internet connectivity, which will in turn significantly increase GDP,” said d.light CEO Ned Tozun. “Growing these sectors requires massive support. Attending the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting gives us the opportunity to engage with leaders from all walks of life, and we look forward to collaborating on solutions for societal and global concerns that have been neglected for too long.”
As a leading provider of off-grid solar solutions, d.light also announced today the raise of $10.5 million in investment from <a href="http://www.norfund.no/">Norfund</a>, <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/powerafrica/beyondthegrid">Beyond the Grid</a>, and <a href="http://www.shellfoundation.org/">Shell Foundation</a>. This brings the company’s total raise in the past four months to $40 million.
Since its founding in 2007, d.light has impacted over 65 million people through its sales over 15 million solar light and power products in 62 countries. The company continues to sell hundreds of thousands of units per month, while maintaining excellent quality at scale. d.light has a goal to impact 100 million lives by 2020.
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting takes place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland between January 17 &#8211; 20, 2017. It remains the foremost creative force for engaging the world’s top leaders in collaborative activities to shape the global, regional and industry agendas at the beginning of each year.

Don’t leave 30% of the world behind

The key to boosting growth in Africa is more private investment and responsible policymaking, a CNBC Africa panel at the World Economic Forum heard on Wednesday.
African politicians and business leaders want to see a stronger relationship between the public and private sector to ensure better regulation and clearer policy certainty to ultimately attract infrastructure spending.
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&#8220;The most fundamental issue is, will there be consistency between the public and private sector,&#8221; Phuthuma Nhleko executive chairman of the multinational telecom company MTN said, asking for stronger policy certainty and regulatory environment. 
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&#8220;Then there&#8217;s no shortage of funds,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It all comes back to certainty.&#8221;﻿
The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, acknowledged that if indeed governments put in place policies that are investment-friendly, there will be economic development.
&#8220;We have to accept the fact that the private sector holds huge resources that could be deployed together with the government for the benefit of infrastructure whether it is energy, transport, IT, telecoms and so forth. But then government has to make sure we put in place policies …that work to encourage this kind of investments and partnerships to happen,&#8221; Kagame told an audience in Davos.
According to the International Monetary Fund, Rwanda has been successful in implementing some growth-friendly policies.
&#8220;Early evidence suggests that the short term adjustment policies have been effective in addressing external imbalances,&#8221; the IMF said in a report last week.
&#8220;The government&#8217;s home-grown &#8220;Made in Rwanda&#8221; initiative, which seeks to substitute domestic production for some key imported goods, and export promotion efforts. Performance under the program has been strong, with almost all program targets set through end-June 2016 and structural reforms through end-September 2016 being achieved,&#8221; the IMF added.
Trade is exactly one of the areas that African countries need to work on. According to the IMF, &#8220;Substantial opportunities for further regional and global trade integration still lie ahead&#8221; for the entire sub-Saharan region.
&#8220;Intra-African trade is still at a dismally low percentage,&#8221; Nhleko of MTN said in Davos. &#8220;And for that to increase, I&#8217;m afraid there&#8217;s going to be a choice on how much sovereignty a certain state wants to retain ad to what extent they have a vision of making things, more, more and more boardless.&#8221;﻿

African leaders debate how to fix Africa’s infrastructure gap

The World Economic Forum today issued a report proposing a shift in economic policy priorities to respond more effectively to the insecurity and inequality accompanying technological change and globalization. The Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2017 concludes that most countries are missing important opportunities to raise economic growth and reduce inequality at the same time because the growth model and measurement tools that have guided policymakers for decades require significant readjustment.
The Report finds that annual median incomes declined by 2.4% or $284 per capita across 26 advanced economies between 2008 and 2013 (or most recent period available). Developing countries fared much better, with median incomes rising by an average of 10.7% or $165. However, 23% of them experienced a decline in median per capita income of 9%, as compared to 54% of advanced countries experiencing a decline of an average 8% or $1044 per person equivalent to $2,505 per average household.
The Report argues that sustained, broad-based progress in living standards, a concept that encompasses income as well as economic opportunity, security and quality of life, should be recognized by policymakers as the bottom-line objective of national economic performance rather than GDP growth.  It proposes a new policy framework and set of measurement tools to guide the practice and assess the performance of countries accordingly. 
Inclusive Development Index (IDI). The report ranks countries based on 12 Key Performance Indicators of inclusive development. Providing a more complete measure of economic development than GDP growth alone, the Index has three pillars:  Growth and Development, including GDP growth, labour force participation and productivity, and healthy life expectancy; Inclusion, including median household income, poverty and two inequality measures; and Intergenerational Equity and Sustainability, including adjusted net saving (including natural capital depletion and human capital investment), demographic dependency ratio, public debt and carbon intensity.
51% of the 103 countries for which these data are available saw their IDI scores decline over the past five years, attesting to the legitimacy of public concern and challenge facing policymakers regarding the difficulty of translating economic growth into broad social progress. In 42% of countries, IDI decreased even as GDP per capita increased. A chief culprit was wealth inequality, which rose in 77% of economies by an average of 6.3%.
Some countries rank significantly higher in the IDI than GDP per capita, suggesting they have done a relatively good job of making their growth processes inclusive, including countries as diverse as Cambodia, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, South Korea and Vietnam. By contrast, others have significantly lower IDI than GDP per capita rankings, indicating that their growth has not translated as well into social inclusion; these include Brazil, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa and the United States. 
Richard Samans, Member of the Forum’s Managing Board said, “There is a global consensus on inclusive growth, but it has been far more directional than practical. To respond more effectively to social concerns, economic policy needs a new compass setting, broad-based progress in living standards, and a new mental map in which structural reform is reimagined and reapplied to this task, with chief economic advisers and finance ministers prioritizing it every bit as much their traditional focus on macroeconomic, financial supervisory and trade policy.”   
New Framework or “Growth Model.”  The Report suggests that 15 areas of structural policy and institutional strength together constitute the underlying “income distribution system” of modern market economies and are the crucial tools available to policymakers to strengthen economic growth and social inclusion in tandem. It argues that rising inequality reflects mainly “a lack of attention to this policy ecosystem rather than an iron law of capitalism.” Moreover, for many countries such a reimagined process of structural reform encompassing both demand- and supply-side elements also offers the best hope for boosting economic growth given their limited monetary and fiscal policy space in the aftermath of the 2008-09 financial crisis.     The Report also includes policy metrics &#8212; 140 Policy and Institutional Indicators across the 15 policy domains that have the potential to drive both stronger growth and wider social inclusion. These permit countries to benchmark their institutional strength and policy incentives in these areas against their peers.   Education and Skills Development – access; quality; equity Basic Services and Infrastructure – basic and digital infrastructure; health-related services Corruption and Rents – business and political ethics; concentration of rents Financial Intermediation of Real Economy Investment – financial system inclusion; intermediation of real economy business investment Asset-building and Entrepreneurship – small business ownership; home and financial asset ownership Employment and Labour Compensation – productive employment; wage and non-wage labour compensation Fiscal transfers – tax system; social protection   An Agenda for Global Inclusive Growth.  Based on its findings, framework and tools, the Report proposes a coordinated international initiative to combat the prospect of secular stagnation and dispersion (chronic low growth and rising inequality) by placing progress in median living standards – people – at the heart of national policy and global economic integration:
<ul>
<li>Major economies to undertake mutual effort to address their structural weaknesses within this Frameworkwith support of OECD and other international organizations, potentially by expanding and reprioritizing the G20 Enhanced Structural Reform Agenda, launched during China’s recent presidency.</li>
<li>All countries experiencing labour market challenges related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution toset national investment targets and public-private implementation strategies across five areas of human capital formation:  active labor-market policies (training); equity of access to quality basic education; gender parity; non-standard work benefits and protections; and school-to-work transition. Data indicate few countries are well positioned.</li>
<li>International financial institutions toembrace this reformulation and reprioritization of structural economic policyin their public signaling, country advice, and development cooperation programs as well as catalyze a scaling ofblended, public-private financing of sustainable infrastructure– crucial for attainment of the SDGs &#8212; by shifting from direct lending to risk mitigation, co-investment, aggregation and project development.</li>
<li>Trade and investment cooperation to be refocused from the negotiation of formal new norms such as free trade agreements to the facilitation of trade and investment activity within as well as among countries, particularly in respect of SMEs, services and value chains, encouraging convergence around best practices and standards to reduce frictions and boost development impact, while increasing capacity-building assistance for these purposes.</li>
</ul>
The Report was developed as part of the Forum’s multistakeholder System Initiative on <a href="mailto:https://www.weforum.org/system-initiatives/economic-growth-and-social-inclusion">Economic Growth and Social Inclusion </a> and includes written contributions from five international organizations, three companies and one G20 government highlighting their contributions to this challenge.

Decline in living standards in advanced countries highlights need for new model

Nigeria&#8217;s efforts to secure funds from international lenders to help haul it out of recession have stalled because it has not submitted the required economic reform plans, according to one of the banks and sources close to the matter.
The government has been in loan talks with the World Bank for a year. It had told the lender it would present its proposed reforms to make the economy more resilient and attractive to investment by the end of December, according to Western diplomats and a Nigerian official who declined to be named as they are not authorised to speak publicly.
But this has not happened and as a result of the delay, which the government has not explained, the Washington-based bank has not been able to consider a loan yet, the sources said.
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Nigerian finance minister Kemi Adeosun and the World Bank declined to comment.
The African Development Bank (AfDB), meanwhile, is holding back the second tranche of a $1 billion loan for Nigeria, AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
&#8220;We are waiting for the economic policy recovery programme and the policy framework for that,&#8221; said Adesina, without specifying when the AfDB had expected to receive the reform plans.
Nigeria has said it is seeking to borrow $4 billion in total from the World Bank and other foreign institutions and $1 billion through Eurobonds to plug a yawning budget deficit and fund badly needed infrastructure projects.
The country, which relies on oil revenue for most of its income, has been hit hard by the sharp fall in crude prices since 2014 and is struggling to drag itself out of its first recession in 25 years.
It is unclear why the government has not submitted reform plans to the international lenders. The funding deadlock could throw into doubt badly needed infrastructure projects planned for this year, including new roads and improvements to power infrastructure.
The failure to secure the funds, and to present a reform programme, could also deter some investors from Nigeria&#8217;s planned $1 billion Eurobonds sale in March.
A Nigerian financial source said the government was working with a consultancy on putting together a package of proposed reforms. The source, who declined to be named as the matter is confidential, did not elaborate.
 
RECORD BUDGET
Nigeria needs money to help plug a budget deficit of 2.2 trillion naira ($7 billion) for 2016 and to help fund a record budget of 7.3 trillion naira for 2017 which is aimed at stimulating the economy.
It has been holding talks with various institutions and China over the last year to borrow funds but apart from a $1 billion loan from the African Development Bank, at a rate of 1.2 percent, nothing has been made public.
The Abidjan-based AfDB has paid out an initial $600 million in November but is awaiting the economic reform proposals before it disburses the rest of the money.
It is unclear how much money Nigeria is seeking from the World Bank, or whether the lender was pushing for any specific economic reforms from the government.
The diplomatic sources, however, said the bank wanted to see how Nigeria planned to lower its dependence on oil revenues and boost investment, which has been hit by a high official exchange rate for the naira currency.
Nigeria&#8217;s central bank, backed by President Muhammadu Buhari, has kept the naira rate to the dollar at 40 percent above the unofficial &#8211; or parallel &#8211; market rate, which has dried up dollar supplies on official channels.
The policy has also made investors reluctant to commit new projects as they expect the central bank will have to devalue the naira eventually as oil production has been hit by an insurgency in the Niger Delta oil hub.
The central bank has also imposed hard currency curbs making impossible the import of almost 700 goods, which has forced dozens of plants to close running out of spare parts.
Adesina told Reuters on Tuesday that the currency rate problem needed to be addressed by the government in its reform programme, which he said the AfDB was coordinating with the World Bank.
&#8220;We are being clear that the quantitative restriction in terms of access to FX is what&#8217;s creating huge gap between parallel market rates and official rates,&#8221; he added.
($1 = 314.5000 naira)﻿

Nigeria's efforts to secure international loans hit deadlock

CNBC Africa, Africa’s leading business and finance channel, brings viewers unrivalled live coverage of the 47th annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland from January 17 to January 20.
On-air, online and across social media platforms, CNBC Africa will speak to the most influential CEOs and policy makers both globally and across the African continent.
The theme for WEF Davos this year is placed on responsive and responsible leadership.
“Global events this year have reminded decision-makers that the more complex a system, the greater a community’s concern about its future. The weakening of multiple systems has eroded confidence at the national, regional and global levels. And, in the absence of innovative and credible steps towards their renewal, the likelihood increases of a downward spiral of the global economy.”
WEF Davos will see delegates and thought leaders from across the globe converge to discuss current affairs and future goals that impact the model of future generations.
Powering Africa, brought to you by Nedbank, will broadcast Tuesday, January 17 from 15:30pm to 16:30pm CAT on DStv channel 410. CNBC Africa’s Bronwyn Nielsen will moderate alongside a host of phenomenal panellists, including Aliko Dangote and Cyril Ramaphosa, to discuss the way forward in closing Africa’s energy gap and boosting economic growth with 30% by 2040.
Building Africa, brought to you by Transnet, will broadcast on Thursday, January 18 at 10:30am CAT will look at what infrastructure is needed from power to hospitals, roads and technology to unlock Africa’s industrial potential.
The Return of Carbon Markets, led by Bronwyn Nielsen on January 19, 10:15am to 11:15am CAT, will delve into the question can business and regulators work together to foster vibrant carbon markets?
Follow the pulse of WEF 2017, using the hashtags #DavosOn410 #Channel410 #Energy4All #PowerAfrica410 #BuildingAfrica410:
Facebook – CNBC Africa
Twitter – @cnbcafrica
Instagram &#8211; @cnbcafrica﻿

World Economic Forum Live From Davos

This year, for the first time, I am joining the world leaders at Davos.  This year’s agenda will be looking at some very important areas under the heading Responsive and Responsible Leadership – but I’m concerned they risk neglecting the key underlying problems.
I am deeply uncomfortable about the rise of concepts such as “caring capitalism” and “responsible capitalism” – until capitalism itself is fundamentally re-engineered these will remain oxymorons – a sense of wolves dressed in cuddly sheep’s clothing.
As a Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year, and CEO ofDivine Chocolate, an international company proving that business can be done differently and leading by example, I cherish the opportunity to challenge the leaders and all the vested interests gathered at Davos.
I want to keep the focus on Inequality– which remains the most fundamental barrier to making any kind of lasting positive change.
Globalisation, while undoubtedly working for some people, is actually a driver of inequality.  More people have been left behind, and the wonders of new technology means that now they know it.
Last year Oxfam sent out a press release that said that 62 people own the equivalent of the value of half the world   <a href="http://www.oxfam.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2016/01/62-people-own-same-as-half-world-says-oxfam-inequality-report-davos-world-economic-forum">http://www.oxfam.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2016/01/62-people-own-same-as-half-world-says-oxfam-inequality-report-davos-world-economic-forum</a> Why isn’t inequality the main focus at Davos?  We are hearing much of the “rise of popularism” and “those left behind”.  The inescapable fact is that, for more people to do better in a world of finite resources, some people will have to do a little less well.
Divine Chocolateis trying to address some of the big problems the world faces today in a small way but we have always had big ambitions.  Through the delightful medium of chocolate we are bringing producers and consumers closer together so that they can know each other, they can respect each other and they can truly cherish the transaction.
Some of the ways we have been addressinginequalitythrough our unique business model include:
Giving farmers more influence in the agricultural supply chain– the “free market” is really only “free” for those that have the power, size and influence to drive it.  Divine’s model, where its cocoa farmer suppliers are the biggest shareholders in the company, delivers not only a more sustainable income, but also profit, knowledge and power to enable farmers to have a real voice in the industry, and to invest in the future of their families, farms and communities
Empowering women– in a world of too many “poor relations” women are the poorest.  In societies and supply chains globally, women come off worst and invariably receive less benefits and value than the men around them.  Women and girls not only have a human right to equality, it is clear their full participation in, and leading contributions to, society and business would enhance the world and the way we together work towards ‘globalisation for all’.  Divine invests 2% of its annual income in projects run in collaboration with its farmer owners that give farmers the tools to improve their skills and their prospects – including empowering women to participate fully in their communities and organisation, and benefit fairly from their contribution to the supply chain.
 
Divine Chocolate Topline:
<ul>
<li>Divine Chocolate is a £12m business, based in UK and USA, and its products are sold worldwide</li>
<li>Divine Chocolate is 44% owned by the cocoa farmers of Kuapa Kokoo, a co-operative of over 85,000 members in Ghana.  Farmers are the biggest shareholder, they have two places on our Board, and through Divine they have enjoyed additional income, shared profit, access to market information and forums, and their own voice in the chocolate industry</li>
<li>All Divine products are Fairtrade certified</li>
<li>Divine has just been certified a B Corp, making its business operations as transparent and accountable as its supply chain</li>
<li>Divine is about to publish a report on its work with Kuapa Kokoo to empower women cocoa farmers</li>
</ul>
I will be at Davos from 14-20th January. Would you be interested in talking beforehand, and/or meeting while we are there?  I look forward to hearing from you.  You can reach me on my email <a href="mailto:sophi@divinechocolate.com">sophi@divinechocolate.com</a> or via <a href="mailto:gemma@divinechocolate.com">gemma@divinechocolate.com</a> or <a href="mailto:charlotte@divinechocolate.com">charlotteb@divinechocolate.com</a>

OPINION: A Divine Vision for Change at Davos

You&#8217;re finally in Davos. Or shortly on your way. You&#8217;re packing, or unpacking, your winter gear. You have a list of people to contact when you land and a list of parties you want to hit.
And, of course, you have an expanding to-do list full of all the meetings and seminars on World Economic Forum themes such as responsible leadership, global economic trends, and how various market sectors can survive the coming Fourth Industrial Revolution.
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That&#8217;s all great, but to do all that, you actually have to survive Davos yourself. So as we learn about how the world can make the best use of resources for a sustainable future, we need to do the same for ourselves. It&#8217;s like what they say on airplanes: Secure your own oxygen mask first before helping others.﻿
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So how do you not just survive this week, but make the most of it and thrive? Let&#8217;s start with the big one: Sleep. Even in normal circumstances, most people don&#8217;t get enough of it. Too many, including plenty at Davos, still buy into the delusion that sleep deprivation is a kind of badge of honor, or at least the price we have to pay to get ahead. But the science tells us – conclusively – the opposite: We&#8217;re more productive, creative, make better decisions and perform better cognitively when we&#8217;re well-rested.
But sleep is even more challenging when you&#8217;re traveling across several time zones. Jet-lag can wreak real havoc, leading to depression, faulty memory and impaired judgment – not exactly the recipe for a productive week.
There are proven ways to mitigate jet-lag. First tip: Put down that food. Researchers have found that when food is plentiful, our circadian rhythms are strongly linked to cycles of light and dark. But when food is scarce, our system uncouples from the light-dark cycle to allow for more time to find food, helping you adjust more quickly to your new time zone. Research suggests that not eating at all for around 16 hours can trigger this response. So, for a 10-hour flight, you should stop eating six hours before and then refrain from those in-fight goodies during the flight itself.
Or, there&#8217;s actually something called the Anti-Jet-Lag-Diet, created by the biologist Charles Ehret. Four days before your flying, alternate two cycles of feasting and fasting, switching every two days, making sure to sync the last fasting day with your travel day.
Though one of the best jet-lag tips is this: Don&#8217;t start off already lagging! Getting ready for any work trip can be nearly as hectic as being there, so don&#8217;t forget to get enough sleep where it&#8217;s easiest: In your own bed.
So, now you&#8217;ve touched down, and, however jet-lagged, you need to get some sleep while you&#8217;re in Davos. Even when you&#8217;re not at a bustling conference, sleep in any new venue is challenging. And scientists know why. It&#8217;s called the &#8220;first night-effect.&#8221; What happens is that on our first night in a new environment, parts of our brains stay active and alert for threats (which at the WEF might mean someone breaking into your room and disrupting your sleep to talk about disruption).
So because you can&#8217;t control being in a new environment, you should control what you can. Along with your winter boots &#8212; and, if you&#8217;re adventurous, your ski gear &#8212; make sure to bring your regular nighttime routine with you (it takes up no space in your carry-on). Sleep in your regular nighttime clothes, drink the same tea, read the same book. Whatever your routine is, keep it…routine. And, very important – don&#8217;t sleep with your phone on or near your bed. Our devices are our repositories of everything we need to distance ourselves from to go to sleep – our work, to-do-lists, worries and anxieties. So physically distancing yourself from your phone will help you sleep, and ensure you both wake up fully charged.
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<h4 class="subtitle">The fight against &#8216;Schedule Creep&#8217;</h4>
 So that&#8217;s the nighttime, what about the daytime? Of course, the two are connected. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s important to guard against Schedule Creep &#8211; especially daunting in Davos. The WEF Annual Meeting can be overwhelming – there seems to be no end to fascinating and valuable panels and forums. And while they&#8217;re all worthwhile, being able truly to take in insights about Responsible Leadership requires Responsible Conference-Going. Don&#8217;t try to do too much. And, do you really need to catch that night-cap with someone you can just as easily see next week at home?
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And unlike the machines, robots, and artificial intelligence algorithms you&#8217;ll hear about as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, humans need downtime. So build some into your days – time to take a break, meet some new people, wander, or just wonder. You&#8217;ll be much more present and focused for the panels – and parties – you said yes to. And having regular downtime during the day to digest all that you&#8217;ve learned will make it more likely you&#8217;ll be able to say goodnight to all the excitement when you get back to your hotel, having responsibly said no to that nightcap.
Unlike Las Vegas, the point of the WEF is that what goes on in Davos shouldn&#8217;t stay in Davos, but instead go back home with participants from all over the world. And for that to happen, for you to be truly present, open to collaboration, able to have insights and make connections you wouldn&#8217;t have at home, you need to take care of yourself, sleep, and build in some unstructured time. Oh, and if you hit the slopes, take it easy – Davos is a lot less fun in a cast.
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Arianna Huffington is the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, the founder of The Huffington Post, and the author of 15 books, including, most recently, Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/ariannahuff" target="_blank" title="https://twitter.com/ariannahuff" class="inline_asset">@ariannahuff﻿</a>
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WEF17

Malaria champions unnerved by Trump uncertainty at crucial time

Trade: Best tool to fight poverty and promote growth

UN to focus more on conflict and crisis prevention

Nigeria ratifies the Trade Facilitation Agreement

Globalisation has left people behind – this is what we should do about it

Ministers call on G20 to aim for inclusive growth from WEF

Google & Gavi partner to scale up innovations for vaccine delivery

Biden issues call for Europe and the US to defend the Liberal International Order

Closing the gender gap through quotas and technology

Global Growth to Rise as Political Earthquakes Ironically Unearth Brighter Outlook

Don’t leave 30% of the world behind

African leaders debate how to fix Africa’s infrastructure gap

Decline in living standards in advanced countries highlights need for new model

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African leaders debate how to fix Africa’s infrastructure gap

Decline in living standards in advanced countries highlights need for new model

Nigeria's efforts to secure international loans hit deadlock

World Economic Forum Live From Davos

OPINION: A Divine Vision for Change at Davos

Your guide to a dream Davos: Arianna Huffington

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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