Follow all plenary sessions of the Annual Meeting 2008 live with our webcast service.

Programme

The Meeting addressed more than a dozen specific topics. Its format consisted of plenary sessions and a series of highly interactive roundtables.

Press Corner

Information on event access, press briefings/conferences and facilities for the media.

Key Participants

300 leading people with diverse backgrounds from around the globe participated in the Forum's first Annual Meeting.

10 July 2008

The G8 Statement on Climate Change: Where is Climate Justice?

GENEVA, Switzerland, 10 July – The world's richest nations meeting at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit failed to put the necessary emphasis on the needs of those least responsible for climate chang...


25 June 2008

Kofi Annan Launches Global Alliance for Climate Justice

GENEVA, 25 June 2008 – Kofi Annan said today at the first annual meeting of the Global Humanitarian Forum, which he presides, that a global allianc...


25 June 2008

Energy for the Poor

GENEVA, 25 June – At least 1.6 billion people in the world have no access to electricity. What can be done to make clean, efficient energy available to them? Nobel Peace Prize winner, Rajendra P...


25 June 2008

Solana versus Sachs

GENEVA, 25 June – The annual meeting reached a climax with a keynote debate between Javier Solana, the European Union's head of foreign and security policy, and Jeffery Sachs, a special adviser ...


25 June 2008

Kofi Annan reveals the way forward

GENEVA, 25 June – As the main proceedings of the annual meeting drew to a close, the Forum’s President, Kofi Annan, summarised the conclusions of many of the roundtable discussions held ov...


25 June 2008

New forms of urban life, new development forms

GENEVA, 25 June – The Chinese have the right idea when it comes to urban planning. That was the conclusion of a roundtable discussing what contribution smart design and urban planning make towar...


24 June 2008

Are the right risks insured?

GENEVA, 24 June – Many developing countries lack any insurance coverage for climate risks but this could soon change. Insurance and development experts at this particular roundtable agreed that ...


24 June 2008

Leading the way to climate justice

GENEVA, June 24 - The separate worlds of business and international organisations collided for the first time during the Annual Meeting during a debate on climate justice.


24 June 2008

Prioritising Food Security in a Changing Climate

GENEVA, June 24 - Drought, changing rainfall patterns, insect infestations and other climate changes occupied  participants at a roundtable on food security. Five strategies were proposed to help...


24 June 2008

The Climate Security Nexus: Conflict or Cooperation?

GENEVA, June 24 - A roundtable discussed the link between climate change and security and how better cooperation could be encouraged among peoples and nations to avoid conflict. The group concluded th...