Abu-Ghazaleh Speaks at UNESCO’s ‘Prospects of Knowledge Acquisition and Sharing’ Forum

The different forms of divide between developed and developing countries are growing stronger than ever representing a major challenge. It is the unfair race between Lions and Gazelles – Abu-Ghazaleh

PARIS --- May 12, 2009 --- Upon an invitation from the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura, Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman & CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) and vice chair of the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development (UNGAID), tackled the different forms of divide the world is witnessing during the “Prospects of Knowledge Acquisition and Sharing “Forum organized by the UNESCO, May 11, 2009.

The UNESCO devoted the Forum to the role and impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the knowledge process and to their potential for enhancing education, the sciences and culture to identify the challenges and consequences of this trend.

The event was opened by Mr. Matsuura and Mr. Roberto Carneiro, former Minister of Education of Portugal and the dean of the Institute for Distance Learning at the Portuguese Catholic University.

Speaking at the Forum, Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh stressed that “The different forms of divide between developed and developing countries are growing stronger than ever representing a major challenge. It is the unfair race between Lions and Gazelles.”

“Accordingly, we need to develop different paradigms for the developed and developing countries and set a bold plan to prioritize the infrastructure,” he added.

In his remarks, Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) executive board member, called on the UNESCO and other important global organizations to engage business as a full and equal partner like governments and other stockholders.

“Business is the major creator of knowledge and wealth; its role is crucial for your "Vision 2025".”

He also applauded the UNESCO’s excellent report entitled “Towards Knowledge Societies 2025”, yet, he stressed the need to implement business models in order to achieve the goals.

“Remember I come from the rat race called business. Of course, we need policies and strategies to begin with. But after saying “must” let us put in place the “how”: implementation models,” Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman, Arab Management and Knowledge Society (AKMS), elaborated.

Meanwhile, Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman, Afro-Asian Knowledge Society Initiative (AAKSI), shed light on the corporate social responsibilities’ initiatives launched by TAG-Org such as Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Society (TAG-Knowledge) stating that it is a creative example for serving university students free-of-charge.

“I am ready, as the AAKSI chairman of this initiative, to cooperate with you in your “2025 vision” program for the sake of the peoples of Asia and Africa to achieve the goals of this initiative.”

“TAG-Org is also planning to build other partnerships and initiatives with the UNESCO in various fields.”

At the end of his remarks, Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh underscored his constant readiness to cooperate through the various entities he heads such as UNGAID, AKMS, AAKSI, and of course TAG-Org.

The event brought together international experts, decision-makers and private sector representatives and addressed three main questions: How will we acquire and share knowledge in 2025? How will technology shape lifelong learning in 2025? How will knowledge acquisition and sharing change in higher education and research?
UNESCO’s Future Forum series aim to contribute to the understanding of global trends and related societal challenges, to assess their impact and to determine UNESCO’s response.