The central theme of its debates, according to organisers, is how to build a sustainable future.
“We decided to hold the Horasis Global Meeting in Cascais, on a permanent basis, to create there a ‘new Davos’, in which participants arrive every year in a known place,” Horasis president Frank-Jurgen Richter explained to Lusa News Agency.
According to Richter, “Portugal is the ideal country to host the meeting”, given that it “is the cradle of Europe’s emerging technology (…) and the new world centre of global dialogue due to its excellent geographical position between the East and West.”
The choice of Cascais was also not random, he said, explaining that the area “offers all the ingredients to attract experienced businesspeople, in particular investors, and leading government officials and political decision-makers, because of its excellent infrastructure.”
The Horasis Global Meeting is to take place from 5 to 8 May, with a special focus this year on the role of technology.
Among participants who are already confirmed is Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, and other members of the Socialist government, as well as what Richter called “the most promising world leaders”, such as Peter Mutharika of Malawi, Armen Sarkissian of Armenia, Hassan bin Talal, a Jordanian prince, Ulisses Correia e Silva, the prime minister of Cape Verde, and Mohamed ElBaradei, a former vice-president of Egypt and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Richter also listed the European commissioner from Portugal, Carlos Moedas, in this group of promising leaders.
Among business leaders taking part, he cited José Manuel Barroso – a former president of the European Commission, who is now president of Goldman Sachs International, and Pedro Duarte Neves, a deputy governor of the Bank of Portugal and president of the Committee for the Protection of Consumers and Financial Innovation for the European Banking Authority, among others.
In its 60 sessions, the Horasis Global Meeting is to cover topics such as migration, blockchain technology, artificial intelligence and youth employment.
There is a need, according to Richter, for institutions to regain the trust of their populations. Some of the sessions will feature discussion of how world leaders will respond to the growth of political, economic, social and technological cleavages.
“We feel that, since last year’s meeting, the world seems to be dividing: populism is taking hold in various parts of the globe, leading to protectionism and reducing world agreements,” the Horasis president said, citing “geopolitical threats” such as those on the Korean peninsula, in Syria and in Ukraine.
The Cascais event will thus serve to “bring together decision-makers from around the world in new cooperation work,” he told Lusa.