1,000 political, social, and business leaders to virtually discuss shared humanity at 2021 Horasis Global Meeting on June 8

Horasis, one of the world’s foremost independent think tanks, will bring together over 1,000 prominent senior political, business, and social leaders under a virtual roof on June 8 to discuss the theme of “Fostering a Shared Humanity” in times of great uncertainty.

The 2021 Horasis Global Meeting is being held at a watershed moment in history when the world is still grappling with COVID-19 and its emergent variants, a global economic downturn as a result of the pandemic, and a dearth of decisive global leadership.

“The aftermath of this pandemic will take years to clear. Nations have racked up massive sovereign debts to support their disrupted businesses, and many will struggle with a rise in populism,” organizers say.

The event, which is permanently hosted by the Portuguese coastal city of Cascais, will be held online this year due to the coronavirus-induced movement and travel restrictions.

Invited delegates—which include government ministers, Fortune 500 CEOs, and social and entrepreneurial leaders—will gather to share their views on potential sustainable pathways, guided by compassionate leadership, to solve for the multitude of economic and social disruptions that have taken place on both global and local levels.

According to the latest World Economic Outlook of the International Monetary Fund, the pandemic recession is the deepest since the end of World War II, with a 3.5% output contraction in 2020, which represents a 7% loss relative to the IMF´s 3.4% growth forecast back in October 2019.

Horasis Chairman Frank-Jürgen Richter (Image source: Horasis)

The IMF forecasts that the global GDP will be 3% lower in 2024 relative to the no-COVID scenario, with the number doubling to 6% for the developing nations.

“The world is at a crossroads where increased international collaboration is needed more than ever to resolve its most pressing issues including economic inequality, climate change, and a path forward post-pandemic,” Dr. Frank-Jürgen Richter, chairman of Horasis, said in a press statement.

He added that the Horasis community of more than 1,000 selected world leaders, including several heads of governments and key ministers, will be instrumental in formulating actionable plans to lead the global community toward a prosperous, egalitarian future.

Some of the political leaders in attendance, according to the Switzerland-based organization, are:

• Armen Sarkissian, President, Armenia
• Hage Geingob, President, Namibia
• Taro Kono, Minister for Administrative Reform and Regulatory Reform, Japan
• Julia Klöckner, Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection, Germany
• Radmila Shekerinska, Minister of Defense, North Macedonia
• Ilga Suplinska, Minister for Education and Science, Latvia
• Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, Egypt
• Béata Habyarimana, Minister for Trade and Industry, Rwanda
• Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ghana
• Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, India

Private sector leaders from top organizations will be represented as well, including:

• Hank McKinnell, Member of the Board, Moody’s USA
• David de Rothschild, Founder, Voice for Nature, United Kingdom
• Megan J. Smith, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, shift7 & Former CTO of the United States, USA
• Ibukun Awosika, Chair, First Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria
• Barbara Ann Bernard, Chief Executive Officer, Wincrest Capital, Bahamas
• Nadja Swarovski, Chair, Swarovski Foundation, Austria

The 2021 Horasis Global Meeting is being organized as part of a series of meetings that the think tank holds throughout the year to “explore, define, and implement trajectories of sustainable growth” and “provide strategic foresight to public and private entities who envisage growing into global and principled organizations.”

In addition to its flagship Horasis Global Meeting, the organization hosts the Horasis Extraordinary Meeting, the Horasis India Meeting, the Horasis China Meeting, the Horasis Asia Meeting, and the annual gatherings of the Horasis Visionary Circle—a peer-to-peer group of entrepreneurs.

Those who wish to attend the online the 2021 Horasis Global Meeting on June 8 should register here.