The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, will this year, from January 28 to February 1, focus on understanding the current crisis and shaping the world after it.
A record number of business leaders, šefova država and key ministers from G8 and G20 countries, complemented by representatives from 30 international organizations and relevant non-governmental organizations, is expected to attend the forum. For the 39th annual meeting, it was not difficult to choose a theme, the global economic crisis, which will be discussed over five days by more than 2,500 participants from 96 countries around the world. The majority, about 60%, will be business leaders who are members of the Forum, coming from the thousand strongest companies worldwide. In addition to reflecting on the crisis, participants will also address additional global issues such as climate change, food problems, and ensuring sufficient water supplies. In this regard, relevant institutions will also be considered, as well as the necessary level of cooperation between them to begin effectively addressing these issues on a global scale.
The forum is designed around six programmatic directions that address the currently largest global problems, including promoting system stability and reviving global economic growth; enabling effective global, regional, and national governance in the long term; addressing sustainability and development challenges; shaping values and leadership principles for the world after the crisis; catalyzing a new wave of growth through innovation, science, and technology; and understanding the implications of business models. Some of the key participants include Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General and member of the Forum’s board, Stephen Green, Chairman of HSBC Holdings, Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra, Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of News Corporation, Jeroen van der Veer, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, and other business leaders. On the other hand, statesmen expected include Wen Jiabao, Chinese Premier, Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister, Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister, and Taro Aso, Japanese Prime Minister, along with a whole array of ministers, central bank governors, and European commissioners. (V. F.)
