The statement below was released by members of the Aspen Ministers Forum on February 18, 2020. We are a group of former foreign ministers from around the world who met recently to discuss one of the most urgent challenges of our time: the deepening global environmental crisis. It is clear to us from these discussions that climate change, ecosystem degradation, and the excessive exploitation of natural resources are now threatening millions of species with extinction and jeopardizing the health of our planet.

The inaugural Aspen New Zealand Seminar titled ‘Leadership, Sustainability and the Good Society’ was held at Millbrook Resort earlier this month. Todd Breyfogle, the Aspen Institute’s Managing Director of the Executive Leadership Programme, moderated the sessions over four days which embodied classical, humanitarian and leadership issues as well as current tensions and consequences.

Sandy Mandic, Associate Professor at the University of Otago, shares her experience at the CityLab 2019 Convention in Washington, DC last month. Sandy was delighted to be nominated by the Aspen Institute New Zealand to attend.

AI is over 60 years old, but in the past five years, it has exploded into the news and major media. This seminar addressed the factors leading to the recent successes of AI and machine learning and provided examples of economic and medical opportunities, and the social risks associated with AI and privacy, autonomous systems, and potentially democratic institutions.