What exactly happens at the WEF is not entirely clear to many. In short: many influential people meet and Switzerland becomes the stage of world politics. But the World Economic Forum is not explained so simply. Here you can get a more detailed overview.
The World Economic Forum
This year the World Economic Forum will take place in Graubünden for the 54th time. The Swiss foundation and lobby organization was founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab, a German economist. The mission of the forum is:
Decision makers from politics, business, science and civil society are present at the annual meeting. The Open Forum aims to promote dialogue between different decision makers to find solutions to the most pressing global problems.
Approximately 850 employees work for the WEF worldwide. The foundation is financed by annual contributions from the 1,000 member companies and by government subsidies. Last year, the WEF achieved a turnover of 409 million francs.
The WEF 2024
This year, approximately 2,800 leaders from 120 countries will travel to Switzerland for the meeting. Among them are approximately sixty heads of state and government.
This year, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are in particular focus. Depending on the topics, suitable guests are also invited. For example, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy traveled to Switzerland for the first time since the outbreak of war. Israeli President Isaac Herzog is also participating in the meeting. The Prime Ministers of Qatar, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon are also present.
The meeting is open to the general public and more than 200 sessions will be streamed live. In total, approximately 400 media professionals will report on what is happening at the WEF.
The most important topics for 2024
“Rebuilding Trust” – that is the theme of this year’s World Economic Forum. The most important topics for this year are:
Collaboration and security
Several events are planned around the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. The results presented by various working groups will be discussed. Switzerland is also involved in the following working groups: “Nuclear Safety”, “Food Safety” and “Confirmation of the End of the War”.
Artificial intelligence
A lot has happened in the field of artificial intelligence, especially in the past year. This progress will also be an important topic at the WEF.
Climate change
Climate issues are also a topic this year. Several panel discussions will take place in Davos in the coming days.
Company
Various events will discuss how economic growth will develop in the future and how economic inequality can be combated. In addition, sustainable investments and supply chains will be important considerations.
The safety concept
Such an event is particularly challenging, especially for the security forces. The Graubünden cantonal police and the Swiss army have jointly developed a security concept. Due to the tense geopolitical situation and threat situation, more extensive operations are planned than a year ago.
About 5,000 army members support the police. Cyber specialists, snipers and dog handlers are also present.
The security measures are largely paid for by the canton of Graubünden, the municipality of Davos and the WEF. The costs amount to 9 million francs. The federal government will pay approximately 2.55 million francs of this. The annual budget for army operations for the WEF annual meeting (2022-2024) is 32 million francs.
The flight movements during the WEF
During the WEF days there are increased flight movements to Switzerland. In recent years, Zurich Airport has recorded approximately 1,000 additional flights during the WEF.
In the past, two American presidents have landed at Zurich airport for the WEF: Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. This year, US President Joe Biden will not travel to the WEF.
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
