Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has been invited by organisers of the Global Citizen Forum (GCF) to speak at the high-level event in his capacity as an “avid visionary with an exemplary commitment to inspiring a better world” and to share his mission with the GCF community of governments, international organisations, civil society and global citizen.

The event will take place under the theme, ‘The Future in Motion’ in Ras Al Khaimah, United
Arab Emirates (UAE), from December 12-13. It will be hosted in partnership with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism
Development Authority and will feature discussions from global leaders and heads of state on some of the
most pressing challenges humanity is facing today.

“It is an honour to have been invited to participate in this important global forum. It is critical given the upheaval of the
last two years that we come together to discuss themes of global importance,” said Bartlett.

He noted that “the future is in motion like never before. However, it is a synergy of both movement and recovery of economies, societies, travel and so much more. It is critical that as we move forward, we do so with careful deliberation and execution to ensure a more sustainable, inclusive and connected global society”.

Bartlett will participate in a plenary session on ‘Cross Border Collaborations: From Periphery to the Core’, which will look at how countries on the periphery can meet the needs of their people and address global challenges such as the current pandemic or pre-empt ongoing crises like an environmental climate disaster.

SPACE TRAVEL AMONG TOPICS UP FOR DISCUSSION

Among the confirmed and invited speakers for this year’s edition are Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda; Philip Pierre, prime minister of St Lucia; Jean Michel Sama Lukonde Kyenge, prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo; Nana Akufo-Addo, president of the Republic of Ghana, among other heads of state, philanthropists and global leaders.

Encouraging important conversations about the new momentum of human migration, GCF will feature insightful
presentations and powerful discussions on pioneering initiatives for sustainable migration, technology’s role in
creating a net-zero carbon world, space travel as a new frontier for humanity, redefining human connection, and
empowering the future of global citizenship.

Following the GCF, Bartlett will travel to Amman, Jordan, where he will meet with Al Fayez, minister of tourism for Jordan and other tourism partners, including representatives of Royal Jordanian Airlines, to discuss investments and increased cooperation between Jamaica and the Middle East. He will then return to the UAE where he will attend the World Travel Awards Grand Final Winners Day 2021 in Dubai as well as meet with tourism partners to follow up on investment and new market opportunities first broached while in the Middle East in October.

Bartlett left the island today (December 10) and is slated to return on December 18.