NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the initial program for the third annual Bloomberg Global Business Forum (GBF) was announced. GBF will open on September 25, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. at The Plaza Hotel with remarks from Michael Bloomberg and a keynote address by the Honorable Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, which will be followed by a conversation between Prime Minister Modi and Mr. Bloomberg focusing on opportunities to strengthen global economic stability, tackle climate change, promote economic growth, and advance technologies that can improve society. Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the day-long Forum is the leading public-private gathering alongside the 74th United Nations General Assembly convening hundreds of CEOs and heads of state and government.
"As the global community experiences heightened economic tensions and political polarization, the Forum is a chance for both public and private sector leaders to discuss avenues for collaboration and partnership," said Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, mayor of New York City 2002-2013, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Climate Action, and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. "We can't afford to sit idle when trade wars are escalating, the planet is warming, and some of the world's biggest economies are at risk of a recession."
Other highlights of the 2019 GBF plenary include Bob Iger, The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO, and Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO, in conversation; a session on seeking global stability through cooperation on trade and climate led by Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist Editor-in-Chief, with the Right Honorable Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade, European Commission, Tidjane Thiam, Credit Suisse CEO, and Michael Corbat, Citigroup CEO; and two panels on transitioning the financial system toward, and spurring investments in, a low-carbon economy moderated by Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, and Christine Lagarde, former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and incoming President of the European Central Bank, with the founding members of the Climate Finance Leadership Initiative, which Michael Bloomberg chairs: Samir Assaf, HSBC Global Banking & Markets CEO, Denis Duverne, AXA Group Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hiro Mizuno, Japan Government Pension Investment Fund Executive Managing Director and CIO, David M. Solomon, The Goldman Sachs Group Chairman and CEO, Francesco Starace, Enel CEO and General Manager, Andreas Utermann, Allianz Global Investors CEO, and Shemara Wikramanayake, Macquarie Group CEO. There will also be a conversation between David M. Rubenstein, The Carlyle Group Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman, and Host of The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations, and the Honorable Xie Zhenhua, Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs of China, discussing China's progress and challenges in tackling climate change, their leadership in green finance, upcoming developments in its carbon market, and Minister Xie's co-chairmanship, with Michael Bloomberg, of the Global Climate Action Initiative.
Key programming continues on the Edwardian Room main stage with interviews hosted by broadcast partners including a Bloomberg Television discussion about managing risk in technology between Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, and Ruth Porat, Alphabet and Google Senior Vice President and CFO. Additional programming will be announced soon.
Following the morning stage sessions, world leaders and CEOs will meet in breakouts to form new partnerships and ways to work together across government and business to meet some of the most pressing global challenges. The 43rd President of the United States George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush will convene a roundtable discussion focusing on the impact of partnerships on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, results of efforts to prevent and control cervical cancer for women living with HIV, and strategies to continue improving the physical health and economic vitality of people on the continent. H.E. Iván Duque Márquez, President of Colombia, and the 42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton will host a roundtable on how a robust economic outlook for Colombia, coupled with international partnership and investment, will help create stability in the region, as well as preserve and strengthen the environment.
Other breakout sessions will address closing the gender equality gap, attended by the Right Honorable Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, and David Lipton, International Monetary Fund Acting Managing Director; decarbonization trends in the energy sector, with the participation of H.E. Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of the Republic of Costa Rica and H.E Dr. Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Planning of the Sultanate of Oman; and the reality of retirement, which will include H.E. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic. Additional breakout sessions and broadcast interviews will be shared in the weeks to come.
The 2019 Bloomberg Global Business Forum's one-of-a-kind platform for collaboration and goal setting will move beyond analysis and provide participants with a chance to shape an economy that creates opportunity while meeting our collective challenges. The day will highlight extraordinary leadership that is building economic and environmental stability and will provide examples of action for others to follow.
Please visit www.BloombergGBF.com for the latest program details and confirmed speakers. Follow Mike Bloomberg on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and Bloomberg Philanthropies on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for GBF news and highlights. Please use the official Forum hashtag #BloombergGBF.
Members of the media interested in registering to cover the 2019 Bloomberg Global Business Forum can visit this link. Any media-related questions should be directed to press@BloombergGBF.com.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 510 cities and 129 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's giving, including his foundation and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2018, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $767 million. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
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