Young Global Leaders Forge Partnership with Musharraf, Tourism Companies

28 January 2006 - Davos, Switzerland

Members of The Forum of Young Global Leaders met on Friday 27 January with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and business leaders in the aviation, travel & tourism industries to discuss progress and solicit financial support for the Kaghan Valley Development Organization (KVDO), a new public-private partnership aimed at the long-term reconstruction of the regions affected by the 8 October earthquake.

The KVDO, a collaboration between the Government of Pakistan, the private sector and the Forum of Young Global Leaders, seeks to rebuild the tourism infrastructure so critical to the greater Kaghan Valley region through the disbursement of concessional and low-interest loans. Prior to the earthquake, over 400,000 tourists visited the region each year.

President Musharraf gave his full support to the initiative which will be led by Young Global Leaders Michelle Guthrie, Chief Executive Officer of Star Group, Hong Kong SAR, and Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Minister of Information Technology of Pakistan.

KVDO will be headquartered in Pakistan and overseen jointly by the Government of Pakistan and The Forum of Young Global Leaders.