RIYADH — The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre (KAPSARC) and the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) hold the first day of the Think20 (T20) Inception Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Think20 (T20), the research and policy advice network of the Group of 20 (G20), kick started on Sunday under the der theme “Striving for a Future of Prosperity, Sustainability, and Inclusion”.

Turki Al-Faisal, Chairman of KFCRIS, delivered the opening keynote and emphasized that the multilateralism is the key which paving the way for prosperous world. Followed by a statement by the chair of T20 Saudi Arabia, Fahad Alturki, highlighting the vision and objectives of T20.

T20 Inception Conference will consist of around 11 panel discussions and six keynote presentations. The sessions aim at identifying solutions on climate and energy, women and youth, innovation and technology, multilateralism, economic development and finance, food security and access to water

The two-day Inception Conference convened experts from all over the world to discuss a range of essential issues covering climate and energy, migration and youth, innovation and technology, multilateralism, economic development and finance, food security and access to water.

The first day of the Inception Conference covered several imminent issues and challenges of global significance. The participants extensively discussed and debated the use of multilateralism as an effective approach to solving the global problems, and the opportunities that “multilateralism” offers and challenges it is likely to face in future. First developed in 2012 by United Nations Development Program (UNDP), “Better and more sustainable future for all” forms the core philosophy behind various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In striving for a future of prosperity, sustainability, and inclusion, the participants discussed how to achieve prosperity beyond economic growth.

The discussions also examined the challenges posed by inequality, social fragmentation and disempowerment, and opportunities for building a more inclusive and sustainable society. Implications of managing the short-term and long-term goals of economic and environmental sustainability for the production and consumption of natural resources were intensively debated to identify and suggest pragmatic policy pathways. A society that provides opportunities for all is one of the critical goals of social development, and the first day’s deliberations aptly ended with a discussion on the potential policy levers that could reduce poverty and inequality while achieving all-inclusive economic opportunities. — SG

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