It is best placed to host first global leadership event on recovery from pandemic: WEF
By Royston Sim, Deputy News Editor, The Straits Times, 8 Dec 2020
Singapore will host the World Economic Forum's (WEF) annual meeting next May, which will see top political, business and academic leaders gather to discuss pressing global issues.
Announcing its decision to shift the annual forum from Switzerland in view of the Covid-19 situation in Europe, the WEF said last night that the meeting in Singapore "will be the first global leadership event to address worldwide recovery from the pandemic".
The WEF said it decided Singapore was best placed to host the meeting in the light of the current Covid-19 situation worldwide.
Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Monday (Dec 7) that the WEF's decision reflects its confidence in the country's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and will also boost the Republic's meetings and conferences sector.
Singapore had two community cases in the past week.
Said WEF founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab: "A global leadership summit is of crucial importance to address how we can recover together.
"The Special Annual Meeting 2021 will be a place for leaders from business, government and civil society to meet in person for the first time since the start of the global pandemic. Public-private cooperation is needed more than ever to rebuild trust and address the fault lines that emerged in 2020."
Hosting the WEF will give a boost to Singapore's meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector and other sectors like hospitality, said MTI.
The annual forum saw about 3,000 participants gather in Davos in January.
It will be held from May 13 to 16 next year, before returning to Davos, Switzerland, in 2022.
The annual forum will - in a first - include a virtual component to allow greater participation amid the Covid-19 pandemic, said MTI.
This is only the second time the WEF meeting will be held outside of Switzerland since it began in 1971, and the first time it will be held in Asia. The 2002 edition was held in New York, to show solidarity with the United States and the people of the city after the Sept 11 terror attacks the year before.
During the usual "Davos week" next year, the forum will hold a virtual event from Jan 25 to 29. It will also host a global technology governance summit in Tokyo in April, said the WEF.
The MTI stressed that the health and safety of the local community and event attendees will be its "foremost priority".
Singapore has successfully rolled out new protocols at large-scale meetings and conferences like the Singapore International Energy Week, it noted. These protocols include on-arrival tests, pre-event and periodic antigen testing, as well as contact tracing.
"All international conferences held in Singapore will similarly adhere to strict public health and safety measures," MTI said.
In a Facebook post last night, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said the WEF's decision "speaks volumes of the international community's trust and confidence in Singapore's handling of the pandemic thus far".
Singapore looks forward to supporting the WEF in its efforts to effect positive change globally via dialogue and engagement, he added.
"May we be a positive example of how to resume economic activities safely and sustainably," Mr Chan said. "Successful execution of such high-level meetings will help re-establish ourselves as a premier global business hub."
World Economic Forum 2021
Tourism, events sectors to get a boost from WEF meeting
Experts say it will also be a testament to Singapore's ability to manage Covid-19 measures for such a signature event
By Justin Ong, The Straits Times, 9 Dec 2020
Hosting the World Economic Forum's (WEF) next annual gathering of global political and business leaders bodes well for Singapore's tourism and events sectors, said experts yesterday.
Public health experts also said that if handled properly, the WEF Special Annual Meeting 2021, slated for May 13 to 16, would be a testament to Singapore's ability to manage Covid-19 measures for such a signature event. The WEF meeting typically attracts about 3,000 delegates to its usual location in Davos, Switzerland.
The switch to Singapore next year because of its handling of the coronavirus puts the city state firmly on the map, said Maybank Kim Eng analyst Chua Hak Bin.
He added that having all the world's attention on the South-east Asian country presents an opportunity for it to prove that it has emerged from the pandemic unscathed, and is ready to resume business as usual as a connectivity hub for the rest of the world.
This is only the second time that the WEF meeting will take place outside of Davos since it began in 1971. The 2002 edition was held in New York, as a show of solidarity with the United States after the Sept 11 attacks.
Mr Benjamin Chiang, Asean government and public sector leader at EY, noted that the choice made by the WEF was an "intangible vote of confidence" in Singapore as a meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) destination capable of managing the pandemic.
CIMB Private Bank economist Song Seng Wun said that while the "exciting, headline-grabbing" news was worth celebrating, another measure of success would be if the event can get the tourism and Mice industries back on their feet, by giving people the confidence to travel to Singapore without hesitation.
"It's the bread-and-butter, regular, routine events in Singapore - whether food festivals or anime conventions - that contribute to monthly tourism receipts," he noted. "So while hosting the WEF is a feather in the cap for Singapore, more importantly, it's the reassurance it gives others that all events can be held here - safely."
Industry stakeholders agreed that the decision was a major endorsement of Singapore's capabilities as a leading global Mice hub.
This, said Mr Aloysius Arlando, president of the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers, would hopefully lead to more job and business opportunities - and in turn help Singapore's economic growth along.
This year's gathering in Davos, in January, was attended by the likes of US President Donald Trump and teen climate activist Greta Thunberg.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Trade and Industry reiterated that the health and safety of the local community and meeting attendees was "of utmost importance".
"Attendees will be required to adhere to the prevailing stringent public health requirements, and safe management and distancing measures in Singapore," said the spokesman.
Dr Jeremy Lim, from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said: "Everyone who can be vaccinated should be vaccinated. And we probably need to have a tiered testing regime based on countries - similar to what Singapore has been doing."
He added: "Hosting the WEF is a higher risk than not hosting the WEF. So it's really about managing the risk, and at essentially three points.
"First, making sure, to the best of our abilities, no one with Covid-19 comes into Singapore. Second, anyone who has Covid-19 and somehow slips through is detected early enough to minimise transmission. And third, if there is transmission, we detect it early enough that we can lock down all the persons who have been in contact, so that we can contain any secondary, tertiary spread."
Professor Dale Fisher from NUS' Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine said: "We've got all these tools to prevent spread, and it'll be a combination of tests or interventions to make this particular conference safe. I'm quite sure that Singapore will not let this become a 'superspreader' event."
Singapore will put in place safeguards as host of WEF meeting: Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing
These will reassure Singaporeans, participants that event can be conducted safely
By Jolene Ang, The Straits Times, 10 Dec 2020
Singapore will put in place three levels of safeguards to reassure both Singaporeans and participants when the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting is held here next year, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said yesterday.
First, Singaporeans, especially those who may interact with participants, will need to be assured that the meeting can be conducted safely, with visitors entering the country.
Second, participants across countries must feel safe mingling with one another.
The third level of safeguards is that those attending the meeting must be given a clean bill of health before they go back to their own countries or onwards to other places, so that there will be no misunderstanding that anyone contracted the virus while they were in Singapore, Mr Chan said.
He was speaking to reporters yesterday on the sidelines of a media visit to Siemens Advance Manufacturing Transformation Centre in Tuas, where he met trainees of the additive-manufacturing training course under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme.
On Monday, the WEF announced its decision to move the annual forum from Switzerland to Singapore.
The meeting in May next year will see top political, business and academic leaders gather to discuss pressing global issues.
This will be WEF's second time holding its meeting outside of Switzerland since it began in 1971, and the first time holding it in Asia.
The 2002 edition was held in New York, to show solidarity with the United States and the people of the city after the Sept 11 terror attacks the year before.
The WEF said it decided Singapore was best placed to host the meeting in the light of the current Covid-19 situation worldwide.
Mr Chan said that if participants can be assured that people from different countries can meet here safely, Singapore will have a competitive advantage.
He said: "If people from both country A and B can come to Singapore safely, then we have a competitive advantage.
"This is going to be a demonstration of how we are able to conduct such high-level meetings in a way that provides the necessary health assurances to participants from different countries, that this is a safe place for them to be."
But Mr Chan stressed that Singapore should not "get too far ahead of ourselves at this point in time".
He said: "When WEF chose Singapore, it was a statement of their confidence in our ability to manage the situation now and over the next few months. But having said that, we shouldn't be complacent.
Mr Chan added: "We must stay very focused and get the job done well - we must make sure that we contain the virus, manage the numbers to keep them as low as possible, to give assurance to ourselves and to the guests that will be coming."
* Parliament: World Economic Forum participants in Singapore to undergo rigorous COVID-19 testing
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 6 Jan 2021
Participants attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Singapore this May will have to abide by strict public health requirements, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan yesterday.
These include undergoing a rigorous Covid-19 testing regimen involving pre-departure and on-arrival tests, as well as adhering to strict safe management measures.
"To minimise the risk of seeding local transmissions, we will also put in place measures to manage the interactions between the local community and the event attendees," Mr Tan said.
Mr Tan was responding in Parliament to Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang), who had asked about health requirements for WEF participants and contingency plans should the coronavirus situation worsen to the extent of requiring border closures.
Mr Tan said specific public health requirements and contingency plans are currently being worked out, and will take into consideration the latest situation in Singapore and around the world.
"The health requirements developed for this event could also serve as an important reference for subsequent events that are going to be held in Singapore," he added.
Last month, the WEF announced its decision to hold the annual forum in Singapore instead of Switzerland this May, in the light of the Covid-19 situation in Europe.
The annual meeting, which gathers top political, business and academic leaders to discuss pressing global issues, saw about 3,000 participants gather in Davos, Switzerland, in January last year.
It will be held in Singapore from May 13 to 16 this year, before returning to Switzerland next year.
The annual forum will, in a first, include a virtual component to allow for greater participation during the pandemic.
Mr Yip had also asked about the extent to which Singaporean talent would be involved in organising the event.
In response, Mr Tan said the Government has been introducing interested local firms and service providers to the WEF and its event organiser, PublicisLive, for potential partnerships.
"It will also be a good chance for us to showcase how Singapore has made it possible through our effort to maintain robust health protocols while sustaining important economic and business activity amidst the Covid-19 pandemic."
He said the WEF's intent is also for the meeting to have a greater focus on Asia, given the region's growing economic weight and importance in the global economy.
"We are looking forward to the opportunity for Singapore to contribute to the programme and the discussions at the meeting," added Mr Tan, stressing that the country will not let its guard down and will continue working to minimise the number of Covid-19 infections here.
Mr Yip then asked if there are plans for the majority of people in Singapore to be vaccinated before the event. Mr Tan replied that the availability and roll-out of vaccines here and elsewhere are still being worked out.
"We will continue to evaluate the situation with these roll-out programmes locally as well as globally, and apply the prevailing conditions to all incoming travellers to Singapore," he said.
** World Economic Forum in Singapore postponed from May to Aug 17-20
Special annual meeting postponed from May due to global challenges in containing pandemic
By Ng Keng Gene, The Straits Times, 4 Feb 2021
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has postponed the special annual meeting in Singapore from May to August, due to the global Covid-19 situation.
The meeting will now take place from Aug 17 to 20, the WEF said in a statement yesterday.
"Although the WEF and Government of Singapore remain confident of the measures in place to ensure a safe and effective meeting, and local transmission of Covid-19 in Singapore remains at negligible levels, the change to the meeting's timing reflects the international challenges in containing the pandemic," said the organisation.
It noted that current global travel restrictions have made it difficult to plan for an in-person meeting in the first half of the year.
"Furthermore, differing quarantine and air transport regulations have increased the lead time necessary to ensure that participants globally can make arrangements to join," it said.
Responding to queries, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said the Government understands the challenges faced by the WEF and has agreed to the reschedule.
"We will continue to partner the World Economic Forum closely to host a safe and successful special annual meeting in Singapore," MTI added.
The meeting, which gathers top political, business and academic leaders to discuss pressing global issues, is traditionally held in Davos, Switzerland, at the end of January.
But the pandemic meant that this year's edition was to be held in Singapore from May 13 to 16. This was subsequently changed to May 25 to 28.
WEF said this year's meeting in Singapore will be the first global leadership summit to address the challenges of recovering from the pandemic and laying the basis for a more inclusive and sustainable world.
"It will bring leaders face to face to focus on shaping solutions to the most pressing challenges of our times," it added.
WEF founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab yesterday encouraged global stakeholders to participate in the August summit.
"(The meeting) will provide the place for leaders from business, government and civil society to come together to address the steps for global recovery," he said.
Speaking at the WEF's Davos Agenda 2021 virtual event last week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that the WEF plays an important role in promoting dialogue, as a forum where leaders from countries large and small alike can speak and be heard. That is why Singapore agreed to host the special annual meeting, he added.
Last year's meeting saw about 3,000 participants gather in Davos. WEF has said the Singapore event would be a hybrid conference, with some joining virtually.
Although WEF has not confirmed how many people are expected at the meeting, The Business Times has reported that WEF is aiming to attract around 1,000 delegates and intends to hold the event at the Marina Bay Sands complex.
*** World Economic Forum cancels August 2021 meeting planned for Singapore
By Lim Min Zhang, The Straits Times, 18 May 2021
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is cancelling its special annual meeting that was scheduled to be held in Singapore in August, with organisers citing the uncertain travel outlook and new Covid-19 variants as reasons.
"This is despite the excellent support provided by the Government of Singapore," it added.
The WEF said its next annual meeting will instead take place in the first half of next year. The final location and date will be determined based on an assessment of the situation later this summer.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said yesterday that the WEF had informed the Singapore Government that due to the continuing global uncertainties caused by Covid-19, it will be cancelling its special annual meeting for this year, which was scheduled to take place in Singapore from Aug 17 to 20.
"The Singapore Government fully appreciates the challenges caused by the ongoing global pandemic, particularly for a large meeting with a broad span of international participants," MTI said in response to media queries.
"We will continue to work actively with the World Economic Forum and other key international organisations to promote collaborations between stakeholders on issues of global concern," it added.
Professor Klaus Schwab, the WEF's founder and executive chairman, said of the cancellation: "It was a difficult decision, particularly in view of the great interest of our partners to come together not just virtually but in person, and to contribute to a more resilient, more inclusive and more sustainable world. But ultimately, the health and safety of everyone concerned is our highest priority."
The WEF's annual meeting, traditionally held in Davos, Switzerland, in January, gathers top public and private sector leaders to address pressing global issues. This year's special meeting, which the WEF announced last December would be in Singapore, would have taken place at Marina Bay Sands, with over 1,000 delegates.
The WEF had shifted the dates for the meeting twice, from mid to end May, and again to August.
In a separate statement yesterday, a spokesman for the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) said the think-tank remains on track to convene the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) here early next month.
"The World Economic Forum's decision does not affect our plans. We have a full line-up of ministers and other senior leaders from around the world planning to attend our event," the spokesman said.
Responding to media queries, the Ministry of Defence said last night IISS has informed the Government that it remains committed to holding the security dialogue.
"We are encouraged by the positive response to invitations to SLD 2021, which underscores the strong commitment of government leaders in addressing security challenges even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic," Mindef said.
"Nevertheless, as the Covid-19 situation is fluid and continues to evolve... the Singapore Government will continue to monitor the local and global Covid-19 situation and make the necessary adjustments. In doing so, the health and safety of everyone will be the foremost consideration," it added.
Additional reporting by Justin Ong
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