primarily due to accumulated failure of the multilateral system in light of weaponized geopolitical conflicts and deteriorating climate conditions. The pace of disruption has multiplied several times, with the dawn of 2025 coinciding with the inauguration of Trump’s second presidency. In a matter of hours, he took extreme actions that gravely shook the global health system, international trade system, all international efforts to slow down the deterioration of the climate condition, not to mention radical positions in dealing with the ongoing geopolitical conflicts especially in the Middle East.

The disruption in global financial markets is unprecedented, and global as well as regional growth and development in 2025 - not to mention the years to follow - are impossible to forecast.  All regions in the world have been hit hard; whether Europe, Asia, Canada, Latin America, Africa or the Middle East. Protectionism is emerging more than ever as countries seek to protect their interests from the aggression of the biggest economic and political power in the world, the United States of America. The failure of the multilateral system is dragging the world back to the Mercantilist era.

CAIRO FORUM 2, scheduled to take place in November 2025, has two objectives: First, to explore developments in key existential issues such as the future of the multilateral system in light of its daily exposed failure and the roles of BRICS and G20; How the US China contest is affecting the rest of the world; The turmoil in the Middle East and it economic implications especially with energy concerns; The climate, energy and poverty nexus; not to mention the faster-than-human-coping developments in artificial intelligence and its implications; and the spider web interconnections among all the above topics.

Its second objective is to capture a landscape snapshot of the world economy following 11 months of Trump’s presidency.  Specifically, how the US “America First” policies and disruptive withdrawal from international organizations affect Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.  

Its specialized technical sessions will also offer expert analysis and debates of what is happening in global and emerging financial markets; the obstructions facing climate financing & fair green transition; and debt management challenges. Since Egypt is at the heart of Africa, the beautiful, unlucky, yet highly promising continent is highly focused upon in all aspects. Last but not least, since we at ECES believe that the youth are not just the future but rather the leaders of today, Gen Z’s opinion in all of the above issues will be heard.