Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment & Development Company (QDREIDC) to Host Business and Political Icons in Doha, Qatar on February 26-28, 2007

DOHA, QATAR - Qatari Diar, the region's leader in sustainable development, will serve as the exclusive host sponsor of the inaugural Forbes CEO Middle East Forum, the company and conference planners announced on January 30, 2007. Forbes selected Doha, Qatar as the host city for the invitation-only event, which is attracting the world's most talked-about business, political and industry figures.

The Forum, entitled Driving Growth - Risk & Reward in the Middle East, will be held at the Four Seasons Doha, and will explore the transformations and investment opportunities developing in the Middle East.

"Qatari Diar, like all of Qatar, is dedicated to quality, tradition, and long-term vision. Forbes' decision to host this historic conference in Qatar is a powerful endorsement of these principles and of our promise as a market leader. We are proud to be the host sponsor for this event," said Nasser Al Ansari, Chief Executive Officer of QDREIDC. "We hope that the Forbes CEO Middle East Forum will deepen awareness of Doha, Qatar and highlight it as a leading economic center in the Middle East, with an attractive business environment and bright future."

Fully owned by the Qatar Investment Authority, Host Sponsor Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment & Development Company invests in infrastructure and new towns' development supporting Qatar's phenomenal economic growth. Internationally, Qatari Diar co-ordinates investment opportunities that span the globe with a portfolio of more than 15 projects worldwide.

The Forum's agenda topics address critical issues across a range of industries. A selection of agenda topics featured in the three day conference program include: Hooked on Oil?; The New Silk Road - Opportunities for Asia and the Middle East; Mega Realty: Here To Stay?; Financial Services on the Fast Track; The Growing Power of Middle East Luxury; The Business of Sport; The Telecom Boom - A Little Healthy Competition; and The Dynamics of Family Business.

The Forbes CEO Middle East Forum is held under the patronage of the Emir of Qatar, H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The three day event will take place at the Four Seasons Doha on February 26th - 28th, 2007.

About Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment & Development Company

Wholly owned by the Qatar Investment Authority, QDREIDC was established in December 2004 to support Qatar's growing economy and to co-ordinate the country's real estate development priorities. Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment & Development Company creates distinguished property developments with local culture and lifestyle experience to attract tourism and residents generating sustainable and tangible socio-economic benefits. QDREIDC's vision is to become the most trusted and effective real estate investment company by focusing its value proposition on the creation of quality, well-planned and desirable sustained developments. QDREIDC also provides local and foreign property developers with further opportunities to invest in numerous projects across the globe, including but not limited to Qatar, Morocco, Egypt, Mauritania, Cuba, and Europe.

At the same time, the Mexican president stressed the need for balance between the private and public sectors. "The market is a necessary but not sufficient condition," he said. "The state is needed to make corrections. We have to build from the centre a regime that respects the market and a regime that pursues social justice and defends the environment."

Calderón-Hinojosa stressed that his priorities in office would include: 1. upholding legal institutions; 2. ensuring public security; 3. improving the country's economic competitiveness; 4. healthcare; and

5. environmental protection. In the public security realm, he noted that he has sent in the army to reclaim areas previously controlled by organized crime. In terms of competitiveness, he noted: "We want to become more competitive to create jobs. People don't want charity. I want to convert the country into one of the best places in the world to invest."

Noting that investment bank Goldman Sachs issued a report predicting that Mexico will boast one of the world's biggest economies by 2040, Calderón-Hinojosa suggested adding an "M" for Mexico to the BRIC acronym to representing the world's four leading emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China). "It should be BRIMC," he said.

In closing, the president described how he wants to change Mexico's global image. "We want to revert the image of the guy leaning up against a tree snoozing with his sombrero pulled down over his eyes to the Mexico of Nobel Prize scientist Mario Molina and Golden Globe-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu."

“The Middle East is in dire need of peace and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is one of the most serious conflicts that requires a solution,” President Abbas told the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2007. “Dialogue between nations and different sectors of society will lead to peace.”

Noting previous agreements signed with Israel, as well as other peace initiatives, such as the UN-sponsored Road Map, President Abbas called for resuming negotiations that will ultimately lead to a Palestinian state.

“What is required now is for us to trace the beginning and the end of this peace process,” he said. “Our hand remains outstretched to start the negotiation process. Fear and despair must be replaced by hope and forgiveness. Nothing is more important than peace … for our children.”

Vice-Prime Minister Livni reciprocated the call to seek peace for future generations.

“Our responsibility is to give them hope, this is something we owe them,” Livni said after viewing with the Davos participants several filmed messages of peace from young Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Tel Aviv.

“If what can come out of this is a promise to generations to come that we will take all the measures to bring peace to our region.”

Livni, like Abbas, also envisions a two-state solution to the conflict, but asked what the best way is to achieve this goal. She reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to the Road Map, but said that the current Palestinian government must fulfil its part of the agreement, including the acceptance of Israel’s right to exist and the renouncement of terrorism.

“There is a Palestinian state at the end of the process, but the terrorism must be dismantled,” Livni stressed. “This is a step-by-step process but gives a political horizon.”

She added that in order to realize the two-state vision, moderates on both sides need to fight against the extremists that want to destroy it.

“I know there is an expectation to see us advancing,” Livni said. “I know it’s not easy … but we want to negotiate, to talk, to share ideas and to find common denominators.”

Adding to the discussion, former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres said that the problems are solvable and appealed to the international business community to invest in the region, particularly in a proposed shared economic zone between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories. “Companies are looking for emerging markets,” Peres said “If you are global you must be interested in the globality of peace.”

Closing the session, Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum, said that Peres’ appeal to investors is already being answered, announcing that the Forum is in the advanced stage of creating an Israeli-Palestinian business council to stimulate foreign investment. “We have heard from the young people the expectations of hope … we have heard from the leaders,” Schwab said. “I hope we all join the efforts to find a lasting solution.”

At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, al-Mahdi told a session on achieving stability in Iraq that one of the factors in the current violence is the regional environment. He condemned “old policies… of fighting others” and declared: “Neighbouring countries should be partners.” One principle should be non-interference in each other’s affairs. Asked whether Iran would accept Iraq’s definition of partnership, the Vice-President – who had earlier greeted Iran’s former President Mohammad Khatami among the participants in Davos – affirmed: “I see no reason why Iran should not.” Session chair Richard Haass, President of the US Council on Foreign Relations, noted that a similar forum had worked to solve problems in Afghanistan.

The panellists – including former Iraqi President Adnan Pachachi – agreed that effective protection of minorities and a natural security force loyal only to the government are the keys to achieving stability in Iraq. Pachachi noted that Iraq’s government is currently divided among factionalist Ministers, some tied to the armed groups. He exempted the Prime Minister from his criticisms but unfortunately the Premier had been unable to deliver on his promises. Saddam Hussein’s controversial execution had been exploited by sectarian forces but this would be unlikely to have a permanent impact because of Iraq’s other problems, said Pachachi.

Reminded that many observers see equitable distribution of oil revenues as an essential element for peace, al-Mahdi reported that a new law providing for fair distribution is in “an advanced stage” with final provisions being discussed. A road map sets out steps for sharing political decision-making, not just ministries, among Iraq’s communities.

Al-Mahdi said security in Baghdad needs to be stepped up. More troops are being brought into the capital from regiments outside, with 8,000 promised. “If we can win the war for Baghdad we can change the course of events.” Asked whether the troops would turn up, since an estimated two-thirds had failed to appear two times before when promised, al-Mahdi pointed out that for the first time the forces have a unified command.

Asked what would happen if the US decided to withdraw its forces, Pachachi said Iraq should perhaps approach the United Nations to send in a multinational force. Haass said he was sceptical that such a proposal would get approval. “I share your scepticism,” Pachachi replied. “But this is the last resort. Otherwise there would be such chaos in the country.” If the armed and security forces are professional and reliable, outside troops will not be needed, he said. He believed most Iraqis are not supporters of the militias or insurgents.

She set these goals for Germany’s Presidency of the G8 this year in the opening address to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. She told global political, business and academic leaders in Davos that the G8 summit in Heiligendamm next June would seek to launch this new dialogue, which would then be continued in other international institutions. Among the partners, she specifically named Mexico and South Africa as well as BIC.

Calling for a resumption of the Doha Development Agenda of trade liberalization talks, suspended some six months ago, Chancellor Merkel said that agriculture could not be the only focus of concentrated effort. Progress is essential on industrial goods and services – including equal treatment of domestic and foreign investment – fundamental concerns of the industrialized states. And only a united front by the G8 could contribute to having the dynamic emerging economies participate in global responsibility.

Among the targets she set for Germany’s G8 presidency were reducing global imbalances in exchange rates and oil supplies; minimizing systemic risks on international capital markets, particularly with regard to hedge funds; achieving significant improvements in protection of intellectual property rights; and giving new impulse to efforts at climate protection.

She warned, however, that the international community has only a limited window of opportunity for action. The Chancellor said that intensification of Europe’s relationship with the United States should not be considered as in opposition to this new dialogue. Non-tariff barriers to transatlantic trade, for example, technical standards, financial market rules, energy and environmental regulations, and intellectual property all offered chances for improvements. This would be the topic of the EU-US Summit taking place in Washington on 30 April, she announced.

Germany would also strive to find ways this year to integrate Africa more fully into world trade. AIDS remains a major challenge of our time, particularly for Africa, and a conference in Germany next September will review progress so far and consider new initiatives.

Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum, introduced the theme of the 37th Annual Meeting, “The Shifting Power Equation” and called on the 2,400 participants to work together to tackle the complex challenges ahead. He urged them to help shape a global agenda that addresses a world that is rapidly changing and where power is shifting geopolitically, both in business terms and in the virtual world. "We are living in an increasingly schizophrenic world, where economies are booming and global signs are promising, but underneath are economic, political and social risks, as well as imbalances and inconsistencies,” said Schwab.

Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Swiss Confederation and Federal Councillor of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland, called on all stakeholders to work together in partnership to increase human security, which includes addressing new threats such as the destruction of the environment. “We as representatives of states cannot solve everything alone and cannot solve anything at all unless we rapidly improve our partnerships with business, academia and society as a whole,” she said. “We have made progress in defining and setting standards for globalization and in overcoming its negative consequences. It remains for us to focus on action that makes a real difference.”

“I am certainly going to be involved in discussions around water, and therefore around climate change and the environment. It’s key to what we do as we operate in some 200 countries around the world. I also want to discuss the pushing of the rekindling of the Doha round. I’m hopeful that there will be some discussions here that will cause that to happen. And the position that I’m coming from, with regard to that, is that it is fundamentally important to the ongoing growth of the global economy,” said E. Neville Isdell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, USA, and Co-Chair of the Annual Meeting.

“Professor Schwab spoke of climate change; India is going to be a willing partner in discussing this issue. But clearly it’s not a willing punching bag, because it has its limitations. We, as a billion people, are going to be consuming a lot of services and goods that will create emissions. We will need technology, we will need money, but India will be willing to align with the world,” said Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Group Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises, India, another Co-Chair of the Annual Meeting.

In an interview with the World Economic Forum, Mittal said, “One area [of the Annual Meeting agenda] is to kickstart the Doha round. How can the world come back to the trading table for a multilateral, globally-aligned business agenda? It’s essential that there is a free movement of people and as we seek more trade with each other, the restrictions need to go down. And I think if people need greater access to markets like India, India must also have the benefit of putting its produce outside. And that can only happen if the deep, large agricultural subsidies given by Western nations are taken down.”

“It’s hard, being in the insurance business, not to reflect on climate change,” said James J. Schiro, Group Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Group Management Board, Zurich Financial Services, Switzerland, and Annual Meeting Co-Chair. “Our job is to help people deal with the effects of climate change and to help our customers look at the risks involved with climate change … and how we can help them better adapt, and at the same time to step up to our responsibilities as individuals and as companies to help change the world on a global basis to deal with what is occurring in the changes in our climate,” said Schiro.

Michelle Guthrie, Chief Executive Officer, Star Group, Hong Kong SAR, another Annual Meeting Co-Chair, highlighted Asia as her priority. “Coming from Asia, what I hope for is a discussion about the rise of China, India and other countries in Asia not being a threat but an opportunity. When you see the incredible consumer market opportunity for global businesses, it is quite extraordinary. Try to see those markets as incredible markets to be developed and not as a threat. And, tying in with the shifting power equation, that does not have to mean that there are winners and losers,” she said.

"Davos this year provides a good platform for a better understanding of the multiple facets of globalization. This is key to harnessing it – and a solid multilateral trading system is obviously part of this endeavour," said Pascal Lamy, Director-General, World Trade Organization, Geneva.

Co-Chairs

Michelle Guthrie, Chief Executive Officer, Star Group, Hong Kong SAR

E. Neville Isdell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, USA

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Group Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises, India

James J. Schiro, Group Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Group Management Board, Zurich Financial Services, Switzerland

Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Executive Officer, Google, USA

Falun Gong represents the an element of the Chinese culture.
The Falun Gong claim it to be the best of Chinese Culture.

The Canadian government must stop the Chinese regime from attacking Canadian values here in Canada.

The Falun Dafa Association of Canada condemns the Chinese Embassy in Canada for inciting hatred and interfering with Canadian affairs in their attempt to threaten Canadian officials and the public to discriminate against Canadians exercising their rights of freedom of expression.

Falun Gong practitioners' participation in the NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular showcases our principles of Truth, Compassion, Forbearance that encompass the best of Chinese traditional culture where internal cultivation, and the quest for wisdom and enlightenment were the very foundation of ancient Chinese society. The dance depicting the persecution of a Falun Gong practitioner is a pertinent contemporary metaphor for the principle of "good rewards good, evil begets evil," a principle that often plays a role in old Chinese tales. The show itself is quite profound and goes far beyond a Falun Gong practitioner being killed by communist police. Our message is a voice of courage, hope, and a revival of the moral and spiritual essence in Chinese culture.

Falun Gong itself is not about human rights or politics. Unfortunately, because of the terrible crimes against humanity and hatred waged by the CCP some people automatically equate Falun Gong with human rights or have been deceived by the CCP into believing that Falun Gong has political motivations and then assume that anything said or done by Falun Gong is propaganda.

Most people are unaware that in order to strengthen its power during its 60 year rule, the CCP has carried out one of the most destructive attacks on traditional culture and values in world history including the Cultural Revolution, where almost every traditional Chinese value was eradicated and millions of innocent Chinese citizens were killed to solidify allegiance to the CCP.

It is a great sorrow for the Chinese nation that many have come to believe the CCP's few decades of brutal communist brainwashing that, "To love the CCP is to love China," is now more valued than 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture. Today, anyone who watches the Chinese regime's Chinese New Year programs would see that praising and worshipping the CCP is always their theme.

For many years the Chinese Embassy and consulates here in Canada have been trying to manipulate the Canadian public into attacking Canadian Falun Gong practitioners who are practicing their freedom of belief and freedom of expression here in Canada. This must be put to an end.

We call on the Canadian government to stop the Chinese regime from interfering and attacking Canadian values here in Canada. Also, any principled media body should stop giving voice to the hatred and defamation from the Chinese Embassy and consulates here in Canada including not repeating their defamation that Falun Gong is an "evil cult" in the pursuit of sensationalism.

Canberra, Australia - ACN Newswire - An independent report has found that Australia is on target to achieve its APEC goals of free trade and investment.

The 'Study Report on Australia's Individual Action Plan (IAP)' to achieve its APEC goals was prepared by Akira Kohsaka, Professor of Economics from Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University, Japan, and Daniel Schwanen, Director of Research, from the Center for International Governance Innovation, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

The study was carried out in late 2006 and involved a broad-based evaluation of Australia's trade and economic policies with a view to assessing the likelihood of Australia reaching its APEC 'Bogor Goals' target. (The 1994 APEC Bogor Goals set a target of free and open trade for industrialized economies by 2010 and developing economies by 2020.)

Citing Australia's 15th consecutive year of uninterrupted economic expansion, which is the longest in Australia's history, the report stated: "Australia has made steady progress in trade liberalization and facilitation and it will be able to achieve the Bogor Goals."

The report notes the gains that have been made during the global resources boom and Australia's investment in domestic infrastructure. It concludes that: "Australia is successfully closing the productivity gap with other advanced economies thanks to its broad structural reforms in recent decades, the reform programs correctly continue to be implemented in export infrastructure, land transportation and electricity, and water."

In such areas as Tariffs, Non-tariff measures, Services, and Investment the report noted that: "Australia has implemented autonomous liberalization beyond its Uruguay Round commitments so that it will reach the Bogor target by 2010 with continued efforts along the same lines.

As regards trade facilitation, the report found that: "Australia has been taking a strong initiative in implementing collective action plans in Business Mobility and Customs Procedures.

"It has faithfully attained improvements in Standards and Conformance and Intellectual Property Rights. Australia has gone beyond many other APEC members in arranging and implementing competition policy and deregulation."

All APEC Member Economies implement IAPs to guide them in their efforts to achieve APEC's Bogor Goals. The IAP review process program provides each Member Economy with the opportunity to have their progress towards APEC's goals assessed by their peers. The review by the Independent Experts assists Member Economies in this process.

Four APEC Member Economies are having their IAPs' reviewed at the current round of APEC meetings in Canberra. This process involves a presentation by the Independent Experts to a meeting of Member Economies, followed by an opportunity for these economies to question the economy under review on the details of their IAP.

Held under the theme “The Shifting Power Equation”, the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2007 brings together 2,500 leaders from all walks of life to set the global agenda and tackle global problems in a cooperative way. This poll of participants – the Voice of the Leaders© – asks participants the same questions each year relating to the state of the world – and those same questions are also posed in a worldwide survey of global citizens in the Voice of the People© survey, the results of which were released last week (www.weforum.org/voiceofthepeople). The Voice of the People, undertaken in November-December 2006, interviewed more than 53,000 people and represents 1.5 billion global citizens in more than 60 countries – and comparison of the findings of both surveys makes interesting reading.

“It is clear from this survey that the leaders who will be gathering in Davos next week view the world and its problems in a different way than the wider global population. They share the same concerns about security, both economic and personal, but they often have very different priorities. What is interesting, too, is to see how climate change is taking on more and more importance – with twice as many leaders questioned placing it as the most important global issue,” said Peter Torreele, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum.

Comparing the views of Davos leaders with the global population

Looking at the issue of safety for the next generation, results from both the Voice of the Leaders and the Voice of the People show pessimism, with leaders even more negative than global citizens, as Figure 1 (below) shows.

Figure 1: Gallup International Voice of the People 2006 and Voice of the Leaders

Economic prospects for the future show more optimism among both leaders and global citizens, although the Voice of the People findings are gloomier. The Annual Meeting leaders’ opinions were far more buoyant concerning future economic prospects and two-thirds of the sample (65%) said that the next generation will have a lot or a little more economic prosperity than now. Just over one in ten (12%) feel it will be the same as now and one in five (19%) indicated the next generation will have a lot or a little less economic prosperity.

Global citizens were somewhat less optimistic than the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting participants about economic prosperity, as Figure 2 (below) shows, with only four out of ten (40%) in the Voice of the People indicating that the next generation will live in a lot or a little more economic prosperity.

Figure 2: Gallup International Voice of the People 2006 and Voice of the Leaders

Protecting the environment has also become a major concern of this group, rising to second place as a priority this year, mentioned by one in five (20%), in comparison to its ranking as only the fourth most important priority last year, mentioned by less than one in ten (9%).

Figure 3: Priorities for Leaders from Voice of the Leaders 2006

Over the years, trust in institutions has suffered a decline among the public. The Annual Meeting participants who answered this questionnaire also noted that this is an issue – restoring trust and honesty in government, in business and in international institutions is considered an important priority by 8% although, again, this issue was ranked more highly last year (14%).

When asked specifically what they think is the best way to recover trust in public and private institutions, the Voice of the Leaders answers are clear. Six out of ten respondents (59%) want greater transparency and governance. This is almost double the level found in Voice of the People, where a third (32%) of global citizens mentioned this. A quarter of the leaders (23%) also felt that institutions should reconnect with constituents and stakeholders to rebuild trust, while again, mentions were much lower among global citizens at only 7%. On the other hand, the Voice of the People respondents felt that more punishment of fraudulent behaviour by officials would restore trust and was cited by one in three (30%), but was mentioned by only 7% in the Voice of the Leaders.

When asked their opinions of political and business leaders, the Voice of the Leaders findings are far more generous towards business leaders than politicians, as Figure 5 (below) shows, which is not so surprising given that the sample is composed of mainly commercial respondents. Politicians are criticized by two-thirds of the Voice of the Leaders responents as being too sensitive (69%), by half (52%) for responding to pressure from people more powerful than themselves and by four out of ten (43%) for being dishonest. As to their own faults, business leaders are most criticized for responding to pressure from people more powerful than themselves by four out of ten (42%).

Figure 5: Characteristics of Leaders from Voice of the Leaders 2006

But when the criticisms of business leaders from the Voice of the Leaders are compared with the Voice of the People, it is clear that the leaders hold a higher opinion of themselves than do global citizens. Far higher proportions in the Voice of the People criticize business leaders for being dishonest (34%), having too much power and responsibility (34%), responding to pressure from people more powerful than themselves (31%) and being unethical (30%).

Figure 6: Views of business leaders from Voice of the Leaders and Voice of the People 2006

Political leaders are not exempt from criticism by the global public and the findings from Voice of the People and Voice of the Leaders are relatively similar on this issue except that the leaders criticize politicians for being too sensitive to public opinion far more (69%) than do global citizens (21%). Leaders are also more critical that politicians respond too much to pressure from others (53%) than are the global citizens (37%) but otherwise, the findings from the two surveys show little difference in their views of political leaders.

Figure 7: Views of business leaders from Voice of the Leaders and Voice of the People 2006

The Davos Conversation page – a collaborative effort of top bloggers of the world partnering together for the first time ever to make this project possible – will integrate all types of content stream in an organic way to allow holistic conversations about specific issues, regions or persons. In addition, the media partners of the project – Huffington Post, the Guardian’s Comment is Free, the BBC and Buzzmachine – are inviting their readers to record and submit video questions and comments. The Davos Conversation page will bridge the voice of the people with the voice of the leaders through a video bridge in which people can send their video questions to the decision-makers and get their responses in video.

“This is a cutting-edge experiment that, for the first time, gets together some of the most important new media voices and uses technology to allow individual conversations to be enlarged and integrated,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. “With the Davos Conversation Project, the World Economic Forum is demonstrating its continued commitment to opening the Annual Meeting to a global dialogue of the issues that face us all. Thanks to the tools and technology of the Internet, we can reach an even bigger audience, share the outcomes of the Annual Meeting and create a global conversation on how to improve the state of the world,” he added. Click Here

“One of the great things about the blogosphere is that it gives anyone with a modem and a keyboard a seat at the tables of power. It’s an unparalleled field leveller,” said Arianna Huffington, Editor, Huffington Post.com. “The Davos Conversation Project is a perfect example. I applaud the Forum for opening the doors of one of the world’s most exclusive gatherings to bloggers and their readers. Now, millions will be able to not only instantly know what is happening at the Meeting, they will also be able to interact with the participants and be a part of the conversation. The Huffington Post is excited to be a part of bringing Davos to your home.”

"The BBC is delighted to be part of this important initiative to develop a global conversation with the world's leaders. Wherever you are in the world, you will be able to contribute to the debate in Davos,” said Richard Sambrook, Director, BBC Global News.

“I am honoured to have had a role in planning and participating in the Davos Conversation Project,” said Jeff Jarvis, Editor and blogger at Buzzmachine.com, who is also consulting editor to Daylife, new media columnist for the Guardian and associate professor at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. “Leaders in all spheres of life – government, business, media – are at last coming to recognize that they must engage in constant conversation with their constituents to do their jobs well. The Internet enables that. And so it is good to see the World Economic Forum set an example at its Annual Meeting by exploring more ways to open up to many conversations with the world around us.” Watch Jeff Jarvis video invitation

The Davos Conversation page brings together weblog and video blog contributions from Richard Sambrook from BBC, Alan Rusbriger from Guardian's Comment is Free, Arianna Hufftington from Huffington Post and Jeff Jarvis from Buzzmachine.com – as well as bloggers at Davos on the Forum Blog coordinated by the blogger Loïc Le Meur and around the world – with feeds of the world's news coverage of the topics and people at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. The site was produced by Daylife.

“Daylife is delighted to be able to facilitate the conversation into and out of Davos by organizing and presenting the news around the topics and people at the Annual Meeting,” said Upendra Shardanand, founder and CEO of the startup Daylife, which launched this month in New York. "We hope we can help people make connections with information and each other." Daylife is a global platform that gathers, analyzes, and organizes the world’s news and enables any site, large or small, to present relevant news to its users.

Jennifer has expertise in: International agricultural trade and the WTO, International agricultural biotechnology and biosafety policy, International food aid policy, Environmental implications of global trade and investment, International hazardous waste trade.

Current: Associate Professor (with Tenure), Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo; Associate Editor of Global Environmental Politics (MIT Press); Editor of Current Debates Section of Global Environmental Politics; Editorial Board, Member, Global Governance (Lynne Reinner): Contributing Editor, Alternatives, Journal; Member, SSHRC Adjudication Committee for SSHRC Standard Research Grants Program; Board Member, Society for Women in International Political Economy (SWIPE).

Over the course of the five-day Meeting, 2,400 participants from 90 countries will convene in Davos, including 24 heads of state or government, 85 cabinet ministers, along with religious leaders, media leaders and heads of non-governmental organizations. Around 50% of the participants are business leaders drawn principally from the Forum's members – 1,000 of the foremost companies from around the world and across all economic sectors.

The programme will follow four main themes that are high on the global agenda in 2007. These range from “Economics: New Drivers” and “Geopolitics: The Need for Fresh Mandates” to “Business: Leading in a Connected World”, and “Technology and Society: Identity, Community and Networks”. The opening session of the Annual Meeting will see Angela Merkel lay out her agenda for the year ahead. The German Chancellor will be chair of the G8 for 2007 and rotating head of the European Council for the first six months of the year.

This year will also see the extension of the workshops held in the Davos WorkSpace. There will be two series under the overarching title “Designing New Solutions to Complex Challenges”. The CEO Series will examine “Leading in a Networked World”, with sessions ranging from “Collaborate to Innovate” to “Finding Future Talent”, and the Future Series will investigate “Living in a Networked World” with a series of six sessions ranging from “Building the Skills of the Future” to “Designing Sustainable Cities”.

Commenting on the Annual Meeting programme, Ged Davis, Managing Director and Head of the Centre for Strategic Insight at the World Economic Forum, said: “The idea that the world is in transition is not new, but in 2007 we can see much more clearly the dimensions of change in technology, society, geopolitics and economics, and the consequences for business. It is our understanding of this change that underscores the theme of the Annual Meeting in Davos: 'The Shifting Power Equation’. At the Annual Meeting we can explore the implications of these shifts. They are first addressed in update sessions and in the opening plenary, establishing priorities and proposing possible actions. They are further examined in plenary debate and interactive dialogue. Finally, the Forum’s newly expanded Davos WorkSpaces will provide an environment tailored to facilitate peer reflection, collaboration and the identification of solutions."

Business leaders this year come from the top-most levels, with more than 800 CEOs or Chairmen taking part – the highest number ever. Noting the strong business participation this year, Peter Torreele, Managing Director at the World Economic Forum, said, “Business is always strongly represented at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos – but in terms of the quality and geographical representation of attendees, this is a particularly good year. If we look at the top 100 companies in the world chosen by the FT, Fortune or Forbes, 73 are represented at the Annual Meeting, the vast majority by the CEO, Chairman or President. In total more than 800 chairmen and CEOs from leading companies will take an active part in the discussions, coming from around the world. As business leaders become more and more engaged with global problems, it’s clear that the Forum is providing the platform for them to work with other sectors of society for the global good.”

Key Participants in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2007

The co-chairs are:

John Browne of Madingley, Group Chief Executive, BP, United Kingdom

Michelle Guthrie, Chief Executive Officer, Star Group, Hong Kong SAR

E. Neville Isdell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, USA

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Group Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises, India

James J. Schiro, Group Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Group Management Board, Zurich Financial Services, Switzerland

Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Executive Officer, Google, USA

Click here for a list of some of the 1,000 key business leaders participating in this year’s Annual Meeting. www.weforum.org/annualmeeting/businessleaders, and 200 leading public figures www.weforum.org/annualmeeting/publicfigures

Among the participants:

There are 24 heads of state or government participating in the Annual Meeting: Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority; Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization Executive Committee; H.M. King Abdullah II Ibn Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland; H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco; Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan; Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister of Pakistan; Abudllah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia; Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Felipe Calderón-Hinojosa, President of Mexico; Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Swiss Confederation and Federal Councillor of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland; Ferenc Gyurcsany, Prime Minister of Hungary; Tarja Halonen, President of Finland; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia; Jakaya M. Kikwete, President of Tanzania; Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil; Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President of the Philippines; Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa; Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of Germany; Ahmed Mahmoud Nazif, Prime Minister of Egypt; Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of Vietnam; Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister of Sweden; Fouad Siniora, Prime Minister of Lebanon; Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia; and Viktor Yanukovych, Prime Minister of Ukraine.

There will also be more than 30 Trade and Agricultural ministers, seven European Commissioners, and five cabinet members from the United States.

Among the other participants are heads of international organizations including Mohamed M. ElBaradei, Director-General, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna; Richard Feachem, Executive Director, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Geneva; Pascal Lamy, Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO), Geneva; Peter Piot, Executive Director, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Geneva; Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), New York; Paul D. Wolfowitz, President, World Bank, Washington DC; Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Paris; Achim Steiner, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Nairobi; Heizo Takenaka, Director, Global Security Research Institute, Keiko University, Japan.

NGOs and labour leaders and academics include:

Irene Khan, Secretary-General, Amnesty International; Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch; Barbara Stocking, Director, Oxfam Great Britain; Hany El Banna, President, Islamic Relief; Gerd Leipold, Executive Director, Greenpeace International; Markku Niskala, Secretary-General, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; Guy Ryder, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation; Sharan Burrow, President, Australian Council of Trade Unions; and Philip Jennings, General Secretary, UNI Global Union; Lester R. Brown, Founder and President, Earth Policy Institute; Timothy Garton Ash, Professor of European Studies, University of Oxford; Susan Greenfield, Director, The Royal Institution of Great Britain; Jessica Mathews, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Michael E. Porter, Bishop William Lawrence University Professor, Harvard Business School; Laura D. Tyson, Dean, London Business School.

Personalities from the cultural world contributing to the debates in Davos will include musicians Bono and Peter Gabriel, author Paulo Coelho, Chess Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov, and painter and sculptor Romero Britto.

Representatives of the world’s media will also be represented at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, with 15% of participants drawn from media organizations around the world. Media representatives will have access to every session at the Annual Meeting. Additionally, this year the Forum will invite every participant to join its weblog and will podcast key sessions. As in previous years, more than 40 sessions will be webcast. Any person wishing to join the Davos Conversation should tag all contributions as “davos07”.