XIII Global Baku Forum: “Bridging Divides in a World in Transition” - WAAS High-Level Side Event: Addressing Global Turbulence

Executive Director Steven Hartman will be attending the XIII Global Baku Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the second year in a row. This year’s forum is devoted to the theme “Bridging Divides in a World in Transition”, a highly relevant topic for the UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition and the ASU Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, both of which Steven Hartman is representing. He also attends in his capacity as a WAAS Fellow.

Main Event Information

• Event: XIII Global Baku Forum
• Theme: "Bridging Divides in a World in Transition"
• Official Page: NGIC - Global Baku Forum

WAAS High-Level Side Event: Addressing Global Turbulence

Immediately following the main forum, the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) will host a strategic side event designed to translate high-level diplomatic discussions into actionable solutions for global human security.

• Theme: "Peace, Prosperity, Freedom & Human Security"
• Date: 15 March 2026
• Time: 10:30 am – 6:00 pm
• Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
• Side Event Official Page: WAAS - XIII Global Baku Forum

Why Global Turbulence, and Why Now?

For the first time in decades, multiple civilisational stresses are hitting simultaneously. The post-war international order is fracturing, and conflicts have spread, signaling a new era of territorial rivalry.
Technology is outpacing governance, and climate disruption has moved from a future risk to a present reality. As human security deteriorates across the Global North and South, "polycrisis" has transformed into metacrisis. This event is designed to search for the deep insights, foresights, and courses of action needed to address these interconnected, fast-moving challenges.

Key Focus Areas

• Financial & Capital Reform: Strategies to mobilize capital for climate management, healthcare, and digital connectivity.
• Ethical AI: Bridging the gap between technological speed and the ethical frameworks needed to protect human agency.
• Multilateralism: Practical ways to restore trust in international institutions like the UN.

Featured Session: Human Security Turbulence
Executive Director Steven Hartman will contribute to a specific roundtable session on Sunday 15th March.

• Date/Time: Sunday, 15 March | 16:00 – 17:00 (Local Time)
• Session Focus: Reframing the turbulence agenda through the lens of people's everyday lives. This session explores how a renewed focus on human security, encompassing health, education, environment, and personal safety, can provide a bottom-up foundation for stability and rebuild trust in institutions.
• Moderator:

  - Hafez Ghanem, Regional Vice President of the World Bank for Eastern and Southern Africa 2020-2022; Vice President for Africa 2018-2020

• Panellists:
  - Lin Yifu, Dean, Institute of New Structural Economics; Honorary Dean, School of National Development & Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, Peking University
  - Jan Fischer, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic 2009-2010
  - Steven Hartman, Founding Executive Director, UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Programme; Fellow, WAAS
  - Grigoris Zarotiadis, Elected Member of the Management Council of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; Fellow, WAAS
  - Shafik Gabr, Chairman and Managing Director of the ARTOC Group for Investment & Development

Attendance & Resources

While this side event is primarily for Forum delegates, WAAS Fellows, and invited experts, hybrid and online access is frequently provided for the public.

• Side Event Official Page: WAAS - XIII Global Baku Forum
• Live Stream/Reports: Check the official WAAS page for potential live stream links and post-event summaries.