The global economy is “undergoing one of its most turbulent periods in decades,” according to a recent World Economic Forum (WEF) report, with geopolitical instability, trade realignments, and technological advancements accelerating a reconfiguration of the economic order.
It notes that almost nine in 10 of surveyed chief economists foresee growth in advanced economies depending primarily on access to technology and know-how, but they expect developing countries to continue to depend more on capital and natural resources.
Ahead of the WEF annual meeting next January, its president and CEO Børge Brende spoke to CNN at the Doha Forum, in Qatar, about the challenges facing the global economy.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
CNN: What do you predict will be the priorities and global challenges that will dominate the 2026 World Economic Forum?
Børge Brende: Our theme of the meeting is the spirit of dialogue. What we need more of in this world is for people to talk to each other and try to solve common challenges.
The world isn’t looking that bad. We still have more than 3% economic growth, and we think that new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, will also increase productivity and lead to growth in the future.
Like trade was a growth engine for decades, we think new technologies can do that and then we can see more prosperity.
CNN: Do you believe that global cooperation is still possible in an era defined by fragmentation and mistrust?
Brende: Cooperation is still indispensable, but it looks different from in the past. In the past it was easier to get multilateral agreements, meaning that all countries came together and they agreed on something.
Today, we will see cooperation in a different way. Countries that have things in common will come together in so-called “plurilaterals” and then they will move. But not all the UN members will move in the same configuration.
We are seeing that organizations and countries are adapting to a new reality that (it) is a more competitive world.
CNN: How can the WEF ensure developing countries have a seat at the table rather than being the subject of the discussion?
Brende: It’s very important that we see substantial growth in the developing countries and also in emerging economies.
I’m overall optimistic when it comes to developing countries seeing substantial growth in the years to come. They have a young population; they have good dividend when it comes to human capital.
But there are of course obstacles to overcome, and that’s what we’re working on.
We want to secure a continuation of foreign direct investments to developing countries, and we have to avoid any kind of war. War and conflict kill growth and make it impossible to eradicate poverty.