Regional Agenda World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Unlocking Resources for Regional Development Istanbul, Turkey 28-29 September 2014 Contents 3 Preface 4 Meet the Programme Champions 6 Peace, Stability and Security as Preconditions for Regional Development 10 Building Entrepreneurial and Inclusive Economies 14 Infrastructure as a Platform for Growth 20 Shifting Energy Dynamics 26 The Future of the Region and Turkey’s Forthcoming G20 Chairmanship 30 Conclusion 32 Acknowledgements 33 Further Information 34 Upcoming Meetings © World Economic Forum 2014 - All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system. The views expressed are those of certain participants in the discussion and do not necessarily reflect the views of all participants or of the World Economic Forum. REF 131014 Preface While geopolitical instability is members of cabinet, enabled many threatening peace and security discussions over the role of regional and dominating many agendas leadership and the opportunity across Europe, the Middle East for businesses and civil society to and North Africa (MENA), and positively contribute to the region’s Eurasia, government, business and shared future. civil society leaders cannot risk losing sight of the ultimate goals Istanbul, as a hub for the global of ensuring economic growth and business community and a providing sustainable prosperity for geographical and cultural nexus for all. Achieving these goals requires Europe, MENA and Eurasia, provided concerted and coordinated action an ideal venue for participants to Nicholas Davis from all stakeholder groups, to explore how all three regions can Director manage shared risks and to better unlock resources for development Head of Europe, understand, adapt to and shape and harness the entrepreneurial spirit World Economic Forum national and regional transformations. of citizens to drive innovation and build more inclusive societies. The World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Unlocking Resources This report is structured around for Regional Development, held on the main topics and content pillars 28-29 September in Istanbul, Turkey, that framed the meeting, beginning brought together over 550 political, with the critical issues of peace and business and thought leaders to security, progressing through an explore collaborative approaches to exploration of entrepreneurial and shared resources and challenges, inclusive economies, infrastructure both short- and long-term. It was as a platform for growth and shifting also an important opportunity for energy dynamics, and concluding participants to build relationships, with a discussion of the future of exchange ideas and plan activities Turkey and the region. We hope to help create the conditions for that in these few pages we have inclusive and sustainable regional captured a small slice of the rich prosperity. debates, provocative ideas and deep insights that arose from the World Klaus Schwab, Founder and Economic Forum’s Special Meeting Executive Chairman of the World on Unlocking Resources for Regional Economic Forum, emphasized the Development, and we thank you need for greater levels of international for your collective commitment to collaboration, saying: “We all have a improving the state of Europe, the responsibility. The peaceful resolution Middle East and North Africa and of conflicts is not only the hopeful Eurasia. result of international politics; it requires the strong engagement of everybody.” The close engagement of the Turkish government in the meeting, which included the participation of President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Davutoğlu along with nine World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Unlocking Resources for Regional Development 3 Meet the Programme Champions “The only sustainable resource in the region is our young people. If we can fi nd meaningful employment and engage this population, this will drive growth.” Majid Jafar, Chief Executive Offi cer, Crescent Petroleum, United Arab Emirates; Global Agenda Council on the Middle East and North Africa “All of us have the responsibility to sit alongside the world’s politicians, leading economists and scientists to help create a new, brighter future that puts the human being at the heart of urban development.” Uwe Krüger, Chief Executive Offi cer, WS Atkins, United Kingdom 4 World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Unlocking Resources for Regional Development “We must focus on three key issues in creating opportunities for young and growing populations. First, creating jobs by reducing trade barriers and making it easier to start businesses. Second, developing soft as well as hard infrastructure. Third, growing in an inclusive way, with more young people and women in the workforce to help achieve the region’s potential.” Tarek Sultan Al Essa, Chief Executive Offi cer and Vice-Chairman of the Board, Agility, Kuwait “Turkey cares deeply about the democratization of global governance. It is well equipped to be a voice for emerging economies on the global stage as G20 chair.” Afsin Yurdakul, Chief Foreign Editor, Habertürk TV, Turkey; Global Agenda Council on Europe World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Unlocking Resources for Regional Development 5 Peace, Stability and Security as Preconditions for Regional Development The World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Unlocking Resources for Regional Development took place at a time of significant concern about the cascading risks of political and social instability in the region and the urgent need to address a growing humanitarian crisis. The challenges created by the evolving geopolitical context added urgency to the deliberations but did not obscure the tremendous potential in the region for greater cooperation and integration to unlock underutilized natural and human resources. A common refrain from leaders representation and meaningful There are myriad geopolitical during the meeting was the engagement of all countries, issues affecting Europe, MENA and recognition that, while government, including that of emerging and Eurasia. These regions face shared business and civil society leaders developing economies. Turkey’s geopolitical challenges in the form at the national level have the increasing regional and international of the Ukraine crisis, civil war in greatest responsibility for the future influence is an example of the Syria, the emergence of dangerous of the region, the international shifts in global power that indicate non-state actors, the unresolved community has an important the need to accommodate a aftermath of the Arab Spring and role to play in supporting these different configuration of political the continued standoff with Iran efforts. Cross-regional support and economic powers in global over the nuclear issue. The root and cooperation must be matched decision-making. causes of these conflicts were seen by a global governance system by meeting participants as linked that can better balance the to the failure of national leaders “The key challenge to overcome in forging concerted action is that we are living in a period characterized by both compassion fatigue and war fatigue.” Falah Mustafa, Minister of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq 6 World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Unlocking Resources for Regional Development Peace, Stability and Security as Preconditions for Regional Development to meet the rising expectations of These daunting statistics reveal Manuel Barroso, President of the populations, in particular the desire a twofold challenge: coping with European Commission, highlighted for employment and meaningful this vast human exodus while that one of the lessons learned civic participation. Moussa Mara, addressing the causes of the over previous decades and many Prime Minister of Mali, called for a continuing instability and tragedy. conflicts is that we cannot impose concerted international response And while an international coalition solutions from outside the region. to the global spread of terrorism is actively combating violent To believe the crisis could be and urged greater efforts by Muslim extremists in Iraq and Syria with solved in this way would simply countries to address underlying airstrikes, meeting participants repeat the mistakes of the past, development issues linked to said these efforts would make he added. This requires a carefully radicalism. “It is poverty and little difference without determined managed coalition of international vulnerability that lead to terrorism, efforts by all regional actors to and regional stakeholders: the West not religion,” he said. address the sources of instability. cannot replace the efforts of people in the region to deal with the ISIS The consequences of these threat. conflicts have been considerable The threat posed by groups known and tragic loss of lives, as well as ISIS is felt with special intensity Resolving all these issues is crucial as movements of people that in Turkey owing to the country’s to ensuring long-term regional are placing huge pressures on border with Syria and Turkey’s role development. Similarly, lasting the infrastructure and economic in providing refuge for displaced peace is achievable only when local systems of host countries and people. Welcoming the resolve populations feel that they have the communities. The humanitarian of the international community to social and economic opportunities situation in the Middle