DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) \u2014 Leading global economic policymakers at the World Economic Forum in Davos urged countries and businesses to filter out the turmoil from a week of clashes with the Trump administration and focus on boosting growth and fighting inequality in a world where trade will continue to flow and international cooperation is still badly needed.<\/p>\n
The global economy<\/a> is showing unexpected resilience despite the noise, European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde, International Monetary Fund head Kristalina Georgieva and World Trade Organization head Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said in a panel discussion Friday. But while growth is holding up, troubles like worrisome levels of government debt and inequality loom. <\/p>\n That resilience continues despite disruptions from US trade policy<\/a> under President Donald Trump, who roiled the weeklong forum with threats to impose tariffs on countries supporting Greenland against a US takeover bid, then withdrew the tariff proposal.<\/p>\n What is now needed, they said, are efforts to boost growth to offset heavy debt levels around the world and ensure that disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence<\/a> don\u2019t worsen inequality or devastate labor markets. And Europe needs to boost productivity and improve its business climate for investment. <\/p>\n Georgieva said the IMF\u2019s recently raised forecast of 3.3% global growth for this year was \u201cbeautiful but not enough… do not fall into complacency.\u201d<\/p>\n She said that level of growth wasn\u2019t enough to wear down \u201cthe debt that is hanging around our necks\u201d and that governments need to take care of \u201cthose who are falling off the wagon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to look at Plan B, or Plans B,\u201d said Lagarde. \u201cI think we\u2019ve had a lot of noise this week… and we need to distinguish the signal from the noise… we should be talking about alternatives.\u201d <\/p>\n She responded to the \u201cEurope bashing\u201d heard during the summit by saying, \u201cwe should say thank you to the bashers\u201d for underlining Europe\u2019s need to improve its investment climate and promote innovation. <\/p>\n