This week, we got a glimpse of what the post-pandemic language of politics could sound like at the fourth World Economic Forum Sustainable Development Impact Summit. The online meeting of about 3,800 people from government, business and civil society, from more than 140 countries, was an example of the centre of the spectrum at a time when politics is starkly polarised across the world.
There is an urgency to find common ground among nations, organisations and corporations. Achim Steiner of the United Nations Development Programme warned the summit that the Covid-19 pandemic has not really changed the future yet "but it has very much revealed the present" and the stark problems we face.
As the forum heard, the economic fallout from the pandemic risks plunging half a billion more people into extreme poverty. It would be the first time that poverty has increased globally in three decades and would nearly double the 700 million people already living below the World Bank-defined threshold of $1.90 a day, the forum said.
Jordan's King Abdullah has spoken movingly about the merits of re-globalisation. AFP
To meet this challenge and others, such as the climate crisis, economic inequality and the risks of rapidly developing technology, will require the kind of collective effort – with all of the compromises it would entail – that has been shunned in the past decade as populism and nationalism have re-emerged to challenge the paradigm that globalisation was a largely beneficial trend.
Jordan’s King Abdullah perhaps put it best at the opening of the summit.
“The way forward must be rooted in a re-globalisation that fortifies the building blocks of our international community by enabling our countries to strike a balance between self-reliance and positive interdependence, enabling us all to jointly mark a holistic response to all crises facing our world,” he said. “A response that strengthens our global economy but also addresses inequalities. A response that leads to technological and industrial progress but also ensures the sustainability of our shared environment.”
These are words that encourage inclusion while recognising that countries will always put self-interest first. We cannot be naive about that point, and rather we should see it as a strength to be harnessed. The pandemic is showing us once again that no nation can expect to remain immune to the problems that occur beyond their geographic or ideological boundaries.
Similarly, the issues created by the growing digitalisation of societies cannot be dealt with unless there is a co-operative approach. Fabrizio Hochschild, UN Under-Secretary General, conceded to the forum that few had anticipated that digital innovations such as social media platforms “would leave us more polarised or undermine our democracy". These are unintended consequences, he said, and countries are trying to catch up. "Technologies don’t recognise borders," he added.
However, now that we are aware of these risks, we cannot continue to accept them. "The tech sector is pushing forward the 21st century, but has 19th-century values," he said. "My plea is let’s be more conscious of what we’re doing for society, increasing polarisation or decreasing it, increasing equality or decreasing it."
Equally, other problems are also a matter of mindset. Alan Jope, chief executive of Unilever, said that measures of success remain solely financial, which is “bizarre and it's outdated”. He added that “21st-century tools for a 21st-century environment” are needed.
“The definition of success for a country, which is usually GDP, and all our traditional financial metrics are built on environmental degradation and growing inequality,” he pointed out.
Of course, the hard part will be delivering on these words. In the meantime, we need to ensure that more people hear them. The antidote to divisive and confrontational politics is to deliver the message that compromise is a matter of survival and self-interest, which is the most powerful force for change.
Yo-Yo Ma paid rich tribute to the social innovators who were recognised by the Schwab Foundation at the World Economic Forum. AFP
The hope that we can have a world that is more caring and equitable is clearly in evidence even if on most days it doesn't sound like it is
People may not be ready to hear that yet. We may not hit bottom until well after next month's US presidential election. The discourse will only become uglier in the next few weeks and months as long-standing issues of race and inequality in America have their reckoning.
At some point, though, as we see more evidence of how a collaborative approach will ease our suffering – such as with the multinational initiatives to find a vaccine for the coronavirus – an appetite for a discussion that is more conciliatory could begin to emerge.
On the ground in many parts of the world, people are taking this approach. As cellist Yo-Yo Ma told social innovators being recognised by the Schwab Foundation during the summit: "You have improved the lives of people around you in the world because you care. When people are hurt, you hurt. You care because you have been able to listen to what the needs are of people."
The hope that we can have a world that is more caring and equitable is clearly in evidence even if on most days it doesn’t sound like it is. Perhaps soon we will begin to hear more about that hope above the noise and tumult.
Mustafa Alrawi is an assistant editor-in-chief at The National
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
An arms embargo
A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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The specs
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Key findings of Jenkins report
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024. It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine. Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages]. The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts. With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians. Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved. Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world. The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Red flags
Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
