By Janet Ekstract
DAVOS (GOLDENHORN AGENCY)- The Davos World Economic Forum 2022 (WEF) is the first time since the COVID pandemic that world leaders will meet in person for the annual international summit where 2,500 leaders from politics, business, civil society and media will participate. This year’s theme for the WEF is History at a Turning Point: Government, Policies and Business Strategies. What makes this WEF especially unique is that a primary focus will center on Ukraine with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky giving his talk via video on what Ukraine needs now. What will stand out also will be a lack of Russian presence at the event where neither Russian President Putin or any Russian officials will be attending – a stark contrast to the 2021 forum where WEF founder Klaus Schwab warmly welcomed Putin.
WEF 2022 is timely and crucial because ever since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the world has gone into a tailspin of runaway inflation, food insecurity and glaring climate crises. This is why at this year’s forum it will be even more crucial to find solutions to the most urgent global challenges which include the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine, geoeconomics crises and climate change. Security challenges will also be addressed as well as the need to create a clarity of vision and a unity of purpose to take collective action and create cooperation on a global scale to deal with the most pressing issues which also include healthcare in countries like India who suffer from a shortage of doctors.
During the past two years, the WEF has strengthened its impact initiatives that deal with issues like the pandemic, climate change, education, technology, energy and governance. Part of these initiatives is the Reskilling Revolution initiative whose aim is to provide one billion people with better education skills and jobs by 2030. Other initiatives include the Metrics and Disclosure to measure stakeholder capitalism and the 1 Trillion Tree Campaign (1t.org) launched at PlantAhead 2018 in Monaco by Plant for the Planet to repopulate trees across the globe, combat climate change and protect forests using nature-based solutions.
At WEF 2022 there will be over 50 heads of state, 300 government representatives, more than 1,250 leaders from the private sector and 100 global innovators and technology pioneers from the world’s most promising tech and business start-ups and scale-ups. An estimated 200 leaders from NGOs will be represented along with social entrepreneurs, academicians, religious groups, faith-based organizations and over 400 media leaders and reporting press. WEF 2022 is unique this year because it brings together a myriad of younger people to include 100 members of the forum’s Global Shaper and Young Global Leader Committee who will participate.
