By TIOL News Service

GENEVA, NOV 17, 2013: WIDENING income disparities has got the second rank among the Top 10 trends for world leaders in 2014, according to World Economic Forum's (WEF's ) survey captioned "The Outlook on the Global Agenda 2014".

It remains to be seen whether the issue of widening income gaps would be seized by finance ministers in certain countries to target super-rich or super-profits in certain sectors to raise additional resources.

The Report, which was released on 15 th November, is based on interview with more than 1,500 global experts. The Report is an attempt to map the consequences of the world's challenges in 2014.

According to a WEF release, "The findings of the Outlook come from a survey of more than 1,500 experts from the World Economic Forum's Network of Global Agenda Councils and the Forum's Young Global Leaders and Global Shapers communities. As well as indicating the emerging trends for the year ahead, the survey also attempts to map the connections between them, with the aim of helping leaders and policy-makers formulate effective responses."

The nine other top trends are: Societal tension in the Middle East and North Africa, Structural unemployment, Intensifying cyber threats, Inaction on climate change, The diminishing confidence in economic policies Lack of values in leadership, Asia's expanding middle class, Growing importance of megacities and Rapid spread of misinformation online.

A release quoted WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab as saying: "The complexity of the trends that will shape the global agenda in 2014 and the nature of their interaction clearly demonstrate the need for cooperation on a global level. Such cooperation must be pursued as a matter of urgency if we are to mitigate the harshest effects of these trends and channel their positive momentum."