The World Economic Forum’s Global Redesign Initiative held a country hearing at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore from 1-2 December 2009. The meeting focused on Asia’s contribution to the redesign of global governance. It was the third of a series of meetings with previous events held in Switzerland and Qatar.

The 30 experts discussed if Asia’s experience in solving shared problems offers lessons for global solutions. The meeting also addressed Asia’s current approach to multilateral institutions and whether it limits the region’s influence in global institutions.

In his opening keynote address Raymond Lim, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore said: “The key challenge in global governance of the G20 and other similar mechanisms is to strike the right balance between the competing imperatives of effectiveness and inclusiveness. Crisis and opportunity are often united on the two sides of the same coin. We now have an extraordinary opportunity to improve and shape the global and regional structures. We require structures to deliver better cooperation and more effective coordination on the global and regional levels.”

Watch the opening session with Minister Raymond Lim, Richard Samans, Managing Director at the World Economic Forum, and Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy below.

The Global Redesign Initiative is a multistakeholder dialogue addressing the challenges of the 21st century. The interdisciplinary and cross-civilizational dialogue aims to develop recommendations to support the adaption, evolution and improvement of the structures and systems of international cooperation. The initiative was launched by the World Economic Forum in early 2009 under the patronage of the governments of Qatar, Singapore and Switzerland.