Reshaping Economic Security in Southwest Asia and the Middle East

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The 9th Worldwide Security Conference brought together some 300 high-level policy makers, business and investment executives and public opinion leaders from all over the world to brainstorm on the central theme of economic security and deliberate on practical breakthroughs.

The choice of this year’s theme of the conference reflects the critical importance both of economic security in the 21st century and of the broad region of Southwest Asia and the Middle East - in light of the 2014 withdrawal from Afghanistan and the consequences of profound change unfolding in the region. These present significant challenges and opportunities for the public and private sectors worldwide.

Over thirty speakers participated, including high-level officials from the region and beyond, heads of regional and international organizations, key business and investment executives, and acknowledged independent experts. They met in six sessions:

> Economic Security and Regional Cooperation in Southwest Asia and the Middle East: Regional perspective [Watch]

> New Directions for Water-Energy-Food Security Policies in Southwest Asia and the Middle East [Watch]

> Afghanistan and its Neighbors: Regional Imperatives with Economic Security [Watch]

> Water-Energy-Food Security Nexus: Enhancing the Role of Private Sector Investment in the Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa [Watch]

> Addressing Economic Security through More Effective Regional Policy Frameworks [Watch]

> Conclusions and Next Steps [Watch]

Nobel laureate, former president of Finland and member of EWI board, Martti Ahtisaari opened the conference with a keynote address. [Watch] [Read]

> To read a full report from the conference, click here.

> A roundup of conference media coverage is available here.