President Jacob Zuma to lead a Delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF), 26-31 January 2010, Davos, Switzerland.

Pretoria- President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Jacob G Zuma will today, Monday, 25 January 2010, depart for Davos, Switzerland where he will lead a delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Organised under the theme “Improve the State of the World: Rethink Redesign and Rebuild,” this year’s annual meeting comes within the context of promoting a global system of governance. The pressure to rethink, redesign and rebuild has increased along with concern over the current state of the world financial markets. The fiscal and monetary prescriptions to ease the pain of global economic shocks are now fuelling anxieties about the creation of new economic bubbles. Moreover, the demographic, behavioural and technological changes linked to the collapse in global demand are challenging basic assumptions about the nascent recovery. In addition, weaknesses of governance systems, exposed by the financial crisis, are mostly unchanged with respect to looming global risks such as climate change, nuclear proliferation and pandemic.

Redesign discussions in Davos will leverage on the ongoing work of the Forum’s Global Redesign Initiative (GRI), an unprecedented multistakeholder dialogue focusing on adapting structures and systems of international cooperation to the challenges of the 21st century.

Accordingly, this year’s meeting aims to focus on six areas of inquiry and their global, regional and industry dimensions namely:

• Strengthen Economic and Social Welfare
• Mitigate Global Risks and Address Systematic Failures:
• Ensuring Sustainability
• Ensuring Security:
• Creating a Values Framework
• Building Effective Institutions

President Jacob Zuma is expected to hold, on the margins of the Forum, a series of bilateral meetings with other participating Heads of State and Government, as well as representatives from private corporations.

President Zuma will be supported by Minister of Economic Development, Mr E Patel; Minister of Finance, Mr P Gordhan; Minister of National Planning, Mr T Manuel; Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr R Davies; Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms B Sonjica; Senior Government officials as well as Business delegation.

Upon Conclusion President Jacob Zuma is expected to depart for Addis Ababa where he will lead a delegation to the 14th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit.

For more information contact the Chief Director for Public Diplomacy, Mr Saul Kgomotso Molobi, on 082 940 1647.

Department of International Relations and Cooperation
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25 January 2010