Connecting voices and ideas for influence & projects
BY IRINA BOKOVA, HAKIMA EL HAITE, GEORGE PAPANDREOU, JOËL RUET
We firmly believe it is time to re-consider every country’s health security, using global governance tools that already exist. If we have the will and resources to invest into financial stability or limit global heating, why is health security not on the table too?
https://www.diplomaticourier.com/posts/coronavirus-shows-healthcare-needs-global-governance
BY HAKIMA EL HAITE & JOËL RUET
While we are giving in to the emergency, nature and its ecosystems are already preparing the next tornadoes, freezes, fires and floods, the next viruses to resolve the matter, in one way or another.
We have this choice, all together, today, to remove our blinders.
https://www.diplomaticourier.com/posts/let-us-take-off-our-blinders-and-build-a-new-world
By Irina Bojova, Hakima El Haite, George Papandreou, Joël Ruet.
Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, Hakima El Haite, President of Liberal International, George Papandreou, former Prime Minister of Greece and President of Socialist International, and Joël Ruet co-published an article in Diplomatic Courier and La Tribune. It was entitled “Healthcare needs global governance” and published on the 12th March 2020 in French and 19th March in English. They argued that a health global governance had to benefit from a permanent, collective and ambitious handling, especially ahead of crisis.
The four authors called for a permanent connection to be established between research centres, as well as a global network of medicines and medical supplies and a “WHO Academy”. This academy would bring together a permanent panel of pandemic crisis experts, bid data scientists, socio-economic experts, and philanthropy and emergency organisations, as well as a fund dedicated to financing any crisis acceleration. A future stock of vaccines dedicated to the less fortunate, in the South as well as in the North, must also be prepared.
As each year, Davos is too hectic to come into a post. Here are, beyond our own organized “Innovation Lunch”, some highlights.
We started with a TV interview on this year’s theme on sustainable environment at the 50th World Economic Forum – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwk5r9PJcPE . The Davos forum of course lags behind on the environment but, despite “We will not save the planet only with companies, but we will not save the planet without companies”.
As last year, The Bridge Tank participated in the 4th Davos Forum on the Silk Roads, / Belt and Road Initiative. A discussion on how to move “from the old globalization that benefits some, to a new globalization focused on the belt and the road that benefits everyone and is of high quality”. Who said Davos is not political ?
On more economic found, the idea was to debate “More international public goods (open to all) than private goods (for shareholders)”.
Last but not least glimpse of this year, we enjoyed the Davos “Open” Forum through an amazing keynote speaker and player: Yo Yo MA.
At G20 / T20, Saudi Deputy Minister of Finance said multilateral organizations have succeeded in ensuring efficiency but have failed in distribution – they “have focused on creating growth rather than sharing the fruits “
He planned pledges for multilateral stimulation to promote the national and common interests of the population – illustrating demographic transitions and employment in the South.
This is in this spirit ou Policy Brief wants to give ways for financial actors of the South directly accessing the Green Climate Fund.
At this meeting we presented our ideas and plans for a policy brief to G20 leaders on increasing the financial envelope of the Green Climate Fund. The Brief will be directed by The Bridge Tank and involves contributors from Tunisia, China, India, Indonesia, Germany, Italy and France.
Over the past 5 years, we have contributed to the Task Force on “Climate change and finance” of the T20, and seen the exercise progress and deepen. When G20 leaders decide to unite, solutions are ready through engagement groups like the T20.
We received a warm welcome from the Saudi Arabian G20 presidency and the global T20 teams.
In the Plenary, HRH Prince Turki al Faycal bin Saud, long time head of Saudi intelligence, gave a keynote to Think20/G20 experts, encouraging us for innovative funding solutions, in line with our policy proposals on Green Climate Fund: fast direct access to southern countries, funds and NGOs.
On the 28th and 29th October 2019, the Horasis China Meeting took place in Las Vegas. One of the key parts of this event was a debate between Kristi Noem, Governor of South Dakota, and Pete Ricketts, Governor of Nebraska, on the US-China economic collaboration. Kristi Noem argued that, from an agricultural perspective, keeping many options was the best way for the US to succeed, allowing American families to purchase a large variety of goods. Pete Ricketts insisted that the rise of the middle class in China was a positive change, as it increased the average disposable income which allowed then the consumption of products such as bovine meat. Such a discussion was very interesting to follow, as it highlighted the differences between the point of view of American states involved in intense trade relations with China, and the position of Washington and Donald Trump.
Joël Ruet intervened in a panel entitled “What is next for China’s Belt and Road Initiative?”, which was chaired by Brendan Davis, Producer and Partner at International Troublemakers Incorporated. Among the other keynote speakers were Bo Inge Andersson, President of Yazaki North and Central America for Europe and Africa, Kai Xu, founder of the EverGreen Academy in China, and David Young, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Analytica. In this panel, Joël Ruet argued that China’s work with development partners and multinational institutions would lead to an accelerated economic growth and poverty reduction.
On 22nd of October 2019, the Sino-French Dialogue on Civilisations, co-organised by the Bridge Tank and the China International Publishing Group, was host to three working panels focused on the French and Chinese cultures and global values. The discussions focussed on the intensification of bilateral human exchanges and on the definition of a civilisation based on equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusivity.
Wang Yi, Laurent Fabius, Jiang Jianguo and Dominique de Villepin inaugurated the Sino-French Dialogue on Civilisations. Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor, called for a central place of equality, tolerance and cooperation within human civilisations. Laurent Fabius, former French Prime Minister and President of the Constitutional Council, highlighted that the Sino-French dialogue was a way to live together, especially given that the French and Chinese civilisations have in common the will for openness and a strong interest for balance. These common features should allow the Sino-French cooperation to defend multilateralism more efficiently than alone. Jang Jianguo, Director of the Chinese State Council Information Office and former deputy director of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China, highlighted that communication between the two civilisations, each with their own culture and wisdom, was the best way to achieve both French and Chinese dreams. Dominique de Villepin, former French Prime Minister, insisted on how important the human part of this dialogue of civilisations remained central in this context of a global crisis affecting political, economic and international model.
The speakers of the first panel were Xiang Yunju, executive vice-president of the China Literature and Art Foundation, Gérard Chesnel, former Minister-Councellor at the French Embassy to China and former French Ambassador to the Philippines, Luo Guoxiang, lecturer at the International Studies Institute of the Wuhan University, Deborah Furet, development director at the EHESS, Liu Ye, Chinese actor and knight of the French Order of Arts and Letters, Philippe Barret, French writer, and Han Yuhai, lecturer at the Chinese College of the Beijing University.
The panellists of the second session were Jean-Christophe Bas, Chair of the Dialogue of Civilisations Institute and former Director of Strategy and Development at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Meng Man, lecturer at the History and Culture Institute of the Minzu University of China, Emmanuel Dupuy, President of the Prospective and Security in Europe Institute, Zhao Xiaoxing, assistant director and researcher at the Documentation Institute of the Dunhuang Academy, Alexandre Del Perugia, actor and director of the National Conservatoire of Circus and Mimes, and Shen Jian, President of the Chinese Association of research on the history of France and deputy director of the Academic Advisory Council of the Literature College of the Zhejiang University.
The third panel gathered Liu Shaowen, deputy director at the Research on the Cyberspace Institute of China, Emmanuel Lincot, lecturer at the Catholic Institute of Paris and expert in Chinese politics and history of art, Feng Ying, director of the Chinese National Ballet and knight of the French Order of Arts and Letters, Jean-François Di Meglio, President of Asia Centre, Yuan Min, CEO of Tencent, and François Quentin, former President of the administration council of Huawei Technologies France.
The Bridge Tank co-organised with the Chinese Embassy in France a seminar on the 11th of October 2019, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of economic reforms and the China and the 55th anniversary of the implementation of French-Chinese diplomatic relations. This seminar took place in Brongniart Palace and gathered French and Chinese politicians and experts. This seminar was the occasion for many exchanges and debates, between the speakers and the public and was opened by Hubert Védrine, former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, former Diplomatic Advisor to the French President, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, former French Ambassador to China, Lu Shaye, Chinese Ambassador to France, and Joël Ruet, President of The Bridge Tank.
Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, Cheng Guoqiang, lecturer at the Tongji University of Shanghai, Emmanuel Hache, researcher at the French Institute of Petroleum, Jean-Claude Beaujour, Vice President of France-Amériques et board member of The Bridge Tank, and Jean-François Di Meglio, President of Asia-Centre at Sciences Po Paris, were keynote speakers of the first session of The Bridge Tank’s Seminar. Maurice Gourdalt-Montagne insisted on the necessity China has to confirm its place in the international system, notably through Eurasian agreements and structures. Jean-Claude Beaujour argued that Sino-European cooperation was key to the European Union, especially in the context of a Sino-American trade war and distrust. Jean-François Di Meglio explained how imortant it is for China to trust more than the international system and the benefits it could obtain through it.
The General Eric de la Maisonneuve, President of the Strategy Society, Zhao Chen, Director of the European Diplomacy Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Justin Vaïsse, Director General of the Paris Peace Forum, Deng Haochen, lecturer in Political Sciences at the Fudan University of Shanghai, and Emmanuel Dupuy, chairman of the Prospective and Security in Europe Institute, were keynote speakers of the second session of The Bridge Tank’s seminar: “China: which questions for the future?” General Eric de la Maisonneuve argued that more Sino-French cooperation is a key element for Africa’s economic development. Justin Vaïsse argued that China needed to be a key actor in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, especially regarding its ability to gather states into a community capable of taking important mesures. Emmanuel Dupuy added that the Sino-French cooperation must be the starting point of the rebuilding of the international system; as well as the reinforcement of regionalism in international discussion.
A press conference with Lu Shaye was held following The Bridge Tank’s seminar, quoted notably in CGTN’s “60’ Le Grand Journal’.
The Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in Beijing between the 25th and the 27th of April 2019 under XI Jinping’s presidency. This event gathered 900 select CEOs and economic leaders from companies, governments and business organisations from 88 countries that joined the Belt and Road Initiative. The SASAC’s (State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission) chairman, Xiao Yaqing was one of the keynote speakers. He argued that the inclusion of state-owned enterprises to the Belt and Road construction speeds up the globalisation process and drives the economic growth along the countries involved in the initiative. These enterprises undertook high quality pilot projects with high standards by meeting the demands for local development so as to achieve mutuel benefits and win-win development. As this event ended, a total of over 3,120 Belt and Road initiatives and ideas for further development in social and environmental sustainability had been gathered with central SOEs.
Joël Ruet, chairman of The Bridge Tank, as well as El Hadj Kasse, Minister-Counsellor to the President of Senegal and member of The Bridge Tank’s board, attended this forum. Memorandums of Understanding were signed with the governments of Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Luxembourg, Jamaica, Peru, Italy, Barbados, Cyprus and Yemen. Cooperation plans or action were also signed between the Chinese government and the governments of Serbia, Djibouti, Mongolia, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea and the African Union, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The Chinese government notably made the commitment to implement facilitation arrangements for border entry and exit the Belt and Road, as well to develop Silk Road theme bonds to facilitate bond market financing by domestic and foreign entities to support the initiative. A cooperation initiative on the Silk Road of Innovation was also announced by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, and a Debt Sustainability Framework was published by the Chinese Ministry of Finance.
On the 24th of April 2019, The Belt and Road Studies Network, the initiative official’s think tank, was launched during its first annual meeting. This event was one of the official side events of The Belt and Road Initiative Summit. The Bridge Tank, as a co-founding member, attended this launch. Two of the keynote speakers at this event were Wang Xiaohui, Executive Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and President of the Council of China Top Think Tanks, and Justin Yifu Lin, former Chief Economist and Senior Vice-President of the World Bank and researcher at the Peking University.
