More than 100 world leaders will join hundreds of executives and activists in Switzerland's Davos ski resort for a five-day annual meeting starting Monday, where they will discuss some of the world's biggest challenges.
The world's most influential minds will come together to address urgent global challenges such as ensuring peace, combating climate change and leading the technological revolution towards a positive future.
More than 100 governments, major international organizations and 1000 partner organizations of the forum are expected, along with civil society leaders, experts, young activists, social entrepreneurs and the media.
what is that?
Davos is a resort in Switzerland where the World Economic Forum is held every year. The Forum is a non-governmental organization that includes thousands of major corporations worldwide, bringing together thousands of business and political leaders.
It was founded in 1971 by German economist Klaus Schwab, at the time it was called the European Management Forum and helped improve corporate governance in European companies.
In 1987, it expanded into a chat platform, adopted its current name, and in 2015 it was recognized as an international company.
What is the role of the forum?
In general, economic issues were discussed by the participants, and in the last three decades the forum expanded its approach to other global issues. In recent years, the leaders of China, India and Brazil have also participated in the event.
The theme changes every year. For example, last year, the organization stated that the “cooperation in a fragmented world” approach is suitable for solving the current economic, energy and food crisis.
The event serves as a platform for international dialogues and negotiations. In 1988, Greece and Turkey signed a declaration to refrain from going to war. In 1992, Nelson Mandela met then South African President Frederic de Klerk in his first appearance outside of South Africa.
What are the themes of this year's edition?
The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will have a central theme of “Rebuilding Trust”, providing an important space to focus and retreat on the fundamental principles that drive trust, including transparency, sustainability and accountability.
Confidence in peace and security has declined, global cooperation has declined since 2016 and has fallen since 2020, the forum's president, Borge Brende, told a briefing.
“In Davos, we will make sure to bring together the right people to see how we too can end this challenging world and look for opportunities for collaboration,” he said.
In this context, the forum program revolves around four important themes:
- Achieving Security and Cooperation in a Fractured World: address immediate crises such as conflicts in the Middle East, while countering fragmented structural forces;
- Creating jobs and growth for a new era: Reshape the economic structure to promote growth and job creation, emphasizing people-centered approaches in a decade of low growth;
- Artificial Intelligence as a Driving Force of Economy and Society: Apply AI for the benefit of society while managing regulatory challenges and technological advances in other areas such as 5/6G and quantum computing;
- A long-term strategy for climate, nature and energy: Building systemic approaches to a carbon-neutral and nature-positive world by 2050, balancing societal consensus commitments.
Who will be there?
Names confirmed at this year's edition of the International Economic Forum include, for example, Israeli President Isaac Herzog or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Apart from them, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron and others are notable.
The focus will be on Argentina's new president, Javier Mille, especially during a speech scheduled for next Wednesday. Milei's economic measures have already sparked protests in the country, with the ultra-liberal economist announcing the review or repeal of more than 300 rules to regulate Argentina's economy, as well as the privatization of all state-owned enterprises.
Although the presence of the Portuguese at the event has not yet been confirmed, the last edition featured UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Bank of Portugal Governor Mario Centeno, Soane CEO Claudia Acevedo, EDP CEO Miguel Stilwell de Andrade. , Filipe Silva, CEO of Galp, Filipe Silva and António Serrano, member of the Executive Board of Jerónimo Martins and CEO of Jerónimo Martins Agro-Alimentar.
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