- Harrison Ford's urgent call to action on climate change
- Day 2 highlights: UNGA chief on climate justice | Sheikh Hamdan on his Dubai aspirations
- Read about the second day of the summit as it happened
Global leaders in government and public policy are gathering in Dubai for the World Government Summit, a forum dedicated to "shaping the future of governments".
In total, more than 4,000 decision-makers from 140 countries – including heads of state, ministers and business leaders – will help to shape the future of the planet at the event at Madinat Jumeirah this week.
Here you will find all the latest news from The National's reporters on the ground.
All times UTC+4
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15:30 Blog closes
And that's a wrap from the World Government Summit in Dubai. We're currently live blogging the Milken Summit in Abu Dhabi, headlined by Sir Richard Branson, which is worth a follow. Thank you for joining.
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15:00 Awards ceremony wraps up seventh World Government Summit
The guest speakers make way for the closing awards ceremony. They are presented by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan awards Data Driven Apps Best M-Government Award to Snap RX #WorldGovSummit
— World Gov Summit (@WorldGovSummit) February 12, 2019
The Best M-Government Award for Public Service goes to GP at Hand from United Kingdom, awarded by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. #WorldGovSummit
— World Gov Summit (@WorldGovSummit) February 12, 2019
H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan awards Accessible Government Service Best M-Government Award to Russia State Services. #WorldGovSummit
— World Gov Summit (@WorldGovSummit) February 12, 2019
Sheikh Saif bin Zayed presents the Gov Hack Award to Made of Air, Germany.
H.H. @SaifBZayed awards the GovHack Award to Made of Air, Germany. #WorldGovSummit pic.twitter.com/Cre1Wurame
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 12, 2019
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid presents the Shaping Future Governments - Global Universities Challenge to the Tuck School of Buisness at Dartmouth College, USA.
.@HHShkMohd presents Shaping Future Governments - Global Universities Challenge award to @TUCKschool of business @Dartmouth College, USA.#WorldGovSummit pic.twitter.com/qvRAMHU2JD
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 12, 2019
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14:35 Sheikh Saif on tolerance
The Deputy Prime Minister and UAE Minister of Interior closes the line up of the Dubai World Government Summit with a discussion on the country's key theme for 2019: The Year of Tolerance.
أكثر من 200 جنسية تعيش في الإمارات، لذا ارتأت قيادتنا الحكيمة أن تصبح الإمارات مركزًا للتسامح العالمي - الفريق سمو الشيخ سيف بن زايد آل نهيان. #القمة_العالمية_للحكومات pic.twitter.com/ovHYYYPtUW
— World Gov Summit (@WorldGovSummit) February 12, 2019
More than 200 nationalities live in the UAE, our leadership thought the UAE should be the global centre of tolerance, he said.
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13:28 Paul Kagame: the UAE is an inspiration to Rwanda
Paul Kagame, the Rwandan President, said the UAE is an inspiration to his country, claiming it was good to be back in "the dynamic city of Dubai".
The leader congratulated the Emirates for utilising business opportunities effectively and showing solid governance.
"For your example of placing high value on people and the private sector to achieve remarkable results, you have shown the world how vision leadership and good stewardship of natural resources transform scarcity into prosperity," he said.
Mr Kagame also said the key to Rwanda's success lay in bringing all those in his country together, particularly women, so everyone has a common stake in one another's future.
He said he has tried to build a new nation on "values of unity opportunity for all our citizens".
The government of Rwanda has invested in human capital and infrastructure and technology they need.
"In other words our strategy has been to get government out of the business of business and focus instead on creating a conducive enabling environment and level playing field for private enterprise," he said, adding "good governance and accountability is central to everything we do".
Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the #WorldGovernmentSummit says his country has to move from subsistence to knowledge economy. @TheNationalUAE pic.twitter.com/fppWnAGQlW
— Suhail Akram (@akramsuhail) February 12, 2019
Shortly after the end of Mr Kagame's speech, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, tweeted a photo of him and the Rwandan leader.
Mohamed bin Zayed receives the President of Rwanda, discusses strengthening friendship and cooperation as well as a number of issues of mutual interest. pic.twitter.com/MDougaOTQb
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) February 12, 2019
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13:14 DP World CEO: Inter-trade needed to reach Africa's growth potential
There must be more trade between African countries and improved infrastructure for the continent to start growing again, Sultan Bin Sulayem, the chairman and chief executive of DP World said.
"Africa potential of growth is big. It might not be growing now, but we know from experience it is growing," he added.
Speaking specifically of Rwanda, he said President Paul Kagame was "a visionary man and a practical man. He has created a clean and sustainable environment. He devised incentives for investment".
But the future of Africa depends on inter-trade investment, which only accounts for 2 per cent of all trade across the continent, compared with more than 50 per cent in Europe.
There must also be an investment in infrastructure, the capital of which should come from the private sector.
But he said the World Government Summit is the most important in the world, saying the UAE is sharing its secret recipe for success.
"How did the UAE grow their country to be modern, educated, grown in the market?" he asked.
"The soil for progress is governance, transparency, fair leadership, tolerance," he answered.
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13:07 DP World CEO: We don't care what Brexit the UK has, just stop indecisiveness
The nature of the UK's departure from the EU is not important, Sultan Bin Sulayem, the chairman and chief executive of DP World, which runs two ports in the country, said..
Businesses in the country just need certainty, he added.
"The UK did not vote to stop trade, UK voted to stop immigration," he said.
"Our problem really is the indecisiveness of the government. We don't care whether they have a Brexit with a good agreement or a Brexit with a bad agreement ... As businessmen, we are capable to run our businesses once all this indecisiveness has disappeared."
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13:00 DP World chairman: Look at what Trump does not what he says
The world should look at what President Trump does, not what he says, Sultan Bin Sulayem, the chairman of DP World.
"Look at what [US President Donald Trump] does, not what he talks about. The United States feels that free trade is not treating the United States fairly...the United States market is open, but other markets are closed," Mr Sultan said at the summit.
"Globalisation brought growth, protectionism brought recession in the 30s," he said.
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12:44 The best photos from Day 3 of the World Government Summit
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12:30 Mexico vice minister: Trump's wall will not work and we're not paying
An outspoken Mexican politician has doubled down on her criticism of the Trump administration's policy to build a wall on their southern border, in an interview with The National on the sidelines of the summit.
“The proposal is aggressive for Mexicans,” Martha Delgado, undersecretary for multilateral affairs and human rights in Mexico’s department of foreign affairs, said. “But also it is not doable. I mean, if you understand what is happening in the border line, [a wall] is not just expensive, it is not effective."
But Ms Delago is also looking to create closer ties to the UAE, particularly in tourism, commerce and sharing ideas in happiness promotion.
[ Read the full interview here ]
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12:15 Harrison Ford: We are faced with the greatest moral crisis of our time
Hollywood actor Harrison Ford has warned that climate change is the "greatest moral crisis of our time" and has called on governments to take action before it is too late.
He issued a rallying cry for the world to come together to combat the problem during a powerful address at the summit.
The US performer, who is famous for his leading roles in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film series, also said that governments across the world, including his own, were turning their backs on the dire need to tackle climate change, in order to preserve their place in the status quo.
Mr Ford made his comments during the session at the summit that was entitled An Urgent Call to Action on Climate Change.
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12:06 Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed greets Richard Branson
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed welcomed Virgin CEO Richard Branson to the summit.
The business leader can be seen leaning in and shaking the sheikh's hand before entering the congress hall.
.@richardbranson seen with @MohamedBinZayed at the #WorldGovSummit in Dubai. pic.twitter.com/roebd7w2yw
— The National (@TheNationalNews) February 12, 2019
Richard Branson is due to appear at the Milken Institute Mena Summit in Abu Dhabi at 7pm today.
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12:00 Emirati artists suspend judgement
This curious sculpture called SUSPENDED JUDGEMENT at the #WorldGovernmentSummit is created by UAE artist Shamma Al Amri. It moves in a way that a single letter changes places which created two different words in Arabic - Tafkeer (Thinking) and Takfeer (Banishing). @TheNationalUAE pic.twitter.com/vsYcwd4SrV
— Suhail Akram (@akramsuhail) February 12, 2019
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11:45 Tech on display as summit draws to a close
This year's summit has seen a raft of high-level speakers laying out their vision for the future of government.
But there have also been some of the best innovations in science and technology on display.
On Monday, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the Crown Prince of Dubai addressed the summit using hologram technology, setting out the future of cities.
The future of transport was also on show: SkyPods cable car-like pods, which could transport you from Abu Dhabi to Dubai in 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, rapper and entrepreneur Will.I.Am unveiled his new voice-assistant, which works in both English and Arabic – and won't sell your data.
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09:55 UAE and Unesco helping restore two churches in Mosul
The UAE's Minister for Culture and Knowledge Development Noura Al Kaabi shared a moving anecdote from her experience at Pope Francis's Mass last week, where she met a nun from Mosul.
Speaking at the summit, where the Assistant Director General for Culture of Unesco Ernesto Ottone Ramirez said that two churches in Mosul are being restored with the help of the UAE, along with the Al Nuri Mosque.
"I feel so honoured to also be a member of a country that sits in the experience of the Holy Mass, a Pope visit, a nun sitting next to me and also talking about the future of Mosul," Ms Al Kaabi said describing the Papal visit.
The Holy Mass "was a symbolic and important moment in the UAE and I didn't want to miss it," she said.
Ms Al Kaabi said she invited the nun to see the reconstructed and rebuilt churches if there was an opportunity.
The places of worship in the city are what make it great, the nun told Ms Al Kaabi: "We are a group of nuns who are so passionate to see our churches back to life again and this is what defines Mosul.
"What defines Mosul are the mosques are the Yazidi temples, are the synagogues, are the churches that were in Mosul and defined the spirit of Mosul," the UAE's Culture Minister said the nun told her.
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09:40 Harrison Ford: Climate change deniers are on the wrong side of history
The only solution to climate change will be a global one, Harrison Ford said.
He also said climate change deniers are on the wrong side of history, in what he described as "the greatest moral crisis of our time."
Hollywood icon Harrison Ford described climate change as the greatest moral crisis of our age during the #WorldGovSummit in #Dubai this morning #HarrisonFord #UAE #TheNationalUAE #WorldGovernmentSummit pic.twitter.com/N0kDFxkeEu
— Patrick Ryan (@ThatPaddyRyan) February 12, 2019
Mr Ford praised the UAE for preserving the mangroves on the coast of the country, a plant that can capture significant amounts of carbon.
"The problems are global, the solutions must be global," he said.
"Nature doesn't need people, people need nature. Let's work together, lets roll up our sleeves, lets get this thing done," he said as he finished his speech.
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09:35 Harrison Ford calls for human unity in the face of damaged nature
Celebrity turned philanthropist Harrison Ford called for "meaningful action" on climate change.
He expressed disappointment at countries, including the US, at putting their national interests first.
"There are many differences among us, but what is more important is what we have in common. We are animals, human animals," he said, adding, "we are not above nature we are a part of nature."
Actor Harrison Ford calls on politicians to protect planet’s oceans, blames lack of global understanding of complex environments and their importance to mankind #TheNationalUAE #WorldGovSummit pic.twitter.com/cmQ6xzrhXb
— Nick Webster (@NickWebster75) February 12, 2019
A video in which Harrison Ford takes the voice of the ocean acted as a precursor to his talk.
The narrator, who speaks in a disappointed and wise voice, tells the conference: "If nature isn't kept healthy, humans won't survive, simple as that."
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09:27 UAE's Climate Minister introduces Harrison Ford
Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE's Minister of Climate Change and Environment began speaking at the World Government Summit where celebrity turned climate change advocate Harrison Ford will deliver a stark warning on the damage humans are doing to the environment.
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09:00 Final day of the World Government Summit
Good morning and welcome to the final day of our World Government Summit coverage in Dubai.
On the agenda today, Hollywood film star Harrison Ford will deliver his hotly anticipated call to action on climate change.
In a posting on social media ahead of the summit, Mr Ford said climate change "the greatest moral challenge of our time".
Elsewhere, Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality will discuss a human-centric approach to future cities. Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, Unesco's assistant director general for culture the will be discussing the future of culture with Noura Al Kaabi, the UAE's Minister for Culture and Knowledge Development.
Later today, Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda will be on the main stage.
We close things with Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, UAE's Minister of Interior and the awards ceremony around 2pm.
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Further coverage from the World Government Summit
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed receives UN General Assembly president
World Government Summit: Global leaders gather in Dubai - Day 2, as it happened
UN General Assembly chief Maria Fernanda Espinosa calls for climate justice
Women are 'world's third biggest emerging market', Dubai summit hears
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid takes a seat in Dubai's new Sky Pods
