4th Global Baku Forum to discuss most pressing modern challenges
By Aynur Karimova
Azerbaijan's capital Baku, which has in recent years become a center for political discussions, will host the 4th Baku Global Forum on March 10-11.
The Global Baku Forum is a very important event that provides an opportunity to discuss the most pressing modern challenges. The leaders from all parts of the world meet every year in Baku and study the world’s problems, offer solutions, prepare recommendations and present them to governments.
Selection of Baku as a place for holding such an important event in Baku is not unreasonable. Many reputable international think-tanks and organizations choose Baku as a venue to address current challenges in the world, conflict resolution, world management methods and other issues.
Speaking at the 33rd plenary meeting of the Canadian InterAction Council, which was held March 8 in Baku on the eve of the Global Baku Forum, Jean Chrétien, Canada’s former Prime Minister, said that the Forum will also provide an opportunity for participants to get closely acquainted with Azerbaijan, its rich history and culture.
Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Latvia’s former president believes that Azerbaijan is an example for other countries in the region in the issues of tolerance and stability.
“Azerbaijan is an example to understand that not everyone in one country should share the same ethnicity and religion, but everyone should be equal and should respect each other, as they are the citizens of the same country,” she told journalists on March 8.
The 4th Global Baku Forum titled “Towards a Multipolar World” will discuss such topics as international security, regional threats, serious consequences of global economic challenges, climate change and energy policy, role of oil-producing countries, multiculturalism, inter-religious dialogue and mutual integration.
The conflicts on ethnic, religious and political grounds, global challenges in the democratic development, education, and environment will also be the topics of the upcoming forum.
The event will provide a platform for incumbent and former presidents, prime ministers, ministers and leading experts in the field to assess the current state of the world, the most pressing threats to international security, and potential routes to the resolution of problems.
The attendees will deliver speech in the opening of session titled ‘Global challenges of modern world’.
Seven incumbent presidents, 27 former presidents, one vice-president, 23 former prime ministers, a lot of incumbent and former officials, heads of authoritative international organizations, famous politicians and experts will take part in the forum.
The agenda of the 4th Global Baku Forum, organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center in partnership with Azerbaijan State Committee on Work with Diaspora, will be topped by an array of topical issues, organizers say.
The forum will initiate a global discussion and identify the necessary steps to boost trust and joint work among global powers. The meeting will build on the findings from the Baku Forum of 2015, which reviewed the main challenges to the current World Order and explored options to overcome them.
Over 300 delegates from 53 countries will discuss priority issues such as the future of East-West relations, radicalization and extremism, region-specific challenges and opportunities, energy security and inter-faith dialogue, among others.
Day one of the forum will focus on specific major geopolitical crises through facilitated discussions, whereas day two will feature smaller, more targeted, parallel “pep-talks,” in addition to concluding summaries and a call for action.
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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova
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