By Voice of America (Europe) | Created at 2025-01-15 18:27:02 | Updated at 2025-01-15 21:58:59
3 hours ago
GENEVA —
More than 3,000 global leaders from upwards of 130 countries will make their annual pilgrimage next week to the World Economic Forum, meeting in the plush Swiss Alpine resort of Davos.
Nearly 5,000 Swiss army personnel will be on hand to ensure security for thousands of the world’s top movers and shakers in government, business, technology, civil society, the humanities and art.
They will convene between Jan. 20 and 24 to discuss and seek solutions for some of the most pressing issues of the day.
Among the decision-makers expected to attend will be President-elect Donald Trump, who will be president of the United States when he makes a virtual appearance later next week at the yearly event.
“The same week as we are opening our annual meeting next week, there also will be an inauguration happening in the largest economy in the world, the United States,” Borge Brende, president and CEO of the WEF, told journalists at a news conference Tuesday.
“So, we are pleased that also the key leaders from the largest economies in the world — the United States, China, and European Union — will be with us in Davos,” he said, noting that Trump “has joined us physically in Davos before as president” during his first term.
“He will on Thursday afternoon join us digitally, online live in the dialogue with our participants,” he said. “We think that will be a very special moment also to learn more what the new administration’s policy priorities are.”
Since the U.S. is likely to have confirmed a number of Trump’s picks for his Cabinet, he said that toward the end of the week, “we do expect even additional high-level representation from the Trump administration.”
“So, we are very pleased by that because we know that there is a lot of interest among our participants and the rest of the world to decipher and understand the policies of the new administration,” Brende said. “So, it will be a very interesting week.”
Asked whether multibillionaire Elon Musk might be among those attending the forum, he replied, “We don’t know. He is, of course, also welcome with Donald Trump when he, hopefully, comes physically also at our next annual meeting.”
Brende noted that this year’s forum is taking place at a time of greater global uncertainty than has been seen in a generation. He asserted that geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation and accelerating climate change demonstrate the critical need for dialogue.
“Within this more unsettled climate, the only way to address urgent challenges and unlock new opportunities is through innovative, cooperative approaches,” he said.
Key topics on next week’s forum agenda include the conflicts raging in the Middle East. Special panels will explore the “terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the future governance and rebuilding of Syria, and concerns about the potential escalation of conflicts in the region, particularly between Israel and Iran.
“I don’t think we are out of the woods yet,” said Brende, noting that a strong Israeli delegation and Iran’s vice president, Mohammad Javar Zarif, will be in Davos. “So, it should be possible for dialogue, and hopefully we can also find a path forward for peace and reconciliation, and address humanitarian sufferings.”
He said the “forgotten conflict in Sudan that, unfortunately, is also turning into a proxy war” will be debated, as will Myanmar and other areas of instability.
“We know that the war in Ukraine is, unfortunately, continuing with huge humanitarian consequences,” he said, noting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will give a special address at the forum.
The overall theme of the annual meeting is “Collaboration in the intelligent age.” Linked to this is the rapid technological advancements that hold both benefits and risks for society.
“AI, or artificial intelligence, and generative artificial intelligence, or Gen AI, obviously, is front and center of our agenda. It is this super technology, if you will, that interacts with a lot of the other technologies,” said Mirek Dusek, managing director of the WEF.
“Among the host of technologies that we are tracking with the notion of the intelligent age, AI, and particularly Gen AI, over the past few years is a game changer,” he said, underscoring the need for standards to assure the ethical use of that technology.
“We are quite clear-eyed about the opportunities of these technologies, particularly AI, but also quite clear-eyed about what are the risks and how important it is that we deploy those technologies with ethical, societal, and other considerations,” he said.
“There is no intelligent age if there is no healthy planet, and without collaboration, we will not be able to build and address the climate and nature emergency,” warned Gim Huay Neo, managing director of the WEF.
“The climate and nature crisis requires urgent attention and action,” she said, noting that annual global warming reached 1.54 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average last year.
“A lot of the focus of the annual meeting will thus be on what are the issues and the challenges … and in addressing the solutions that can help address the crisis,” she said.
Klaus Schwab, founder and chairman of the board of trustees of the WEF, touted the importance of bringing together thousands of decision-makers from governments, business, and civil society at the beginning of the year “to address the challenges of a world in deep transformation.”
“Despite divergent positions and great uncertainties, the annual meeting 2025 will foster a spirit of cooperation and constructive optimism with the objective of shaping the forthcoming Intelligent Age in a more sustainable and inclusive way,” he said.
