WHAT IS WEF?
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international organization that deals with global economic and social issues. It was founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab, who is still president and CEO of the organization today. The idea to create WEF came to him during a trip to India in 1968, where he met with a wide range of industry and government leaders and noticed the lack of a platform to discuss economic and social issues globally.
WEF has
developed into one of the most important international organizations, bringing
together world leaders from the private sector, politics, academia and civil
society to discuss key global issues and seek shared solutions.
The
organization is known for its annual gathering of heads of state and government
and private sector leaders in Davos, Switzerland, which is considered one of
the most important global policy and business events of the year.
The
organization is funded by contributions from member companies, which are
invited to participate in WEF activities based on their importance in the
global economy.
THE FORUM ANNUAL MEETING IS BACK
After three
years, the winter edition of WEF comes back live. The last live winter meeting
in the luxurious and usual setting of Davos, in the Swiss Alps, was in January
2020, just before the pandemic outbreak.
At this
edition of the event, which ran from 16 to 20 January, there were more than
2,700 leaders including 52 heads of state or government, 57 finance ministers
and 17 central bankers.
Among
several prestigious political figures, in addition to German Chancellor Olaf
Sholz, were speeches by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen,
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos
Mitsotakis.
Concerning
the Italian delegation, only the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe
Valditara, will be present.
COOPERATION IN A FRAGMENTED WORLD
Cooperation in a Fragmented World is the title of this year's meeting,
which will focus on the radical upheavals in so-called "global
cooperation," damaged by the Covid-19 emergency and the war in Ukraine. Indeed,
the latest geopolitical events have extremely weakened political and economic
globalization, of which Davos is one of the major reference points.
According to
Davos exponents, the way to reestablish some kind of cohesive governance, thus
avoiding fragmentation, is to find shared solutions. In particular, shared
solutions to overcome global challenges include maintaining "momentum on
the energy transition" and creating "sustainable food systems."
The event
will also be attended by representatives of large multinational giants such as
Google, Amazon, Intel, Chevron and Paypal, exponents of a hyper-technological
capitalism which is necessarily based on globalization. After two years, big
finance is also returning to Davos. The top executives of Blackrock will be present as well as the leaders of
Goldman Sachs, J. P. Morgan, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and other major
investment banks.
CRITICISM
WEF has been the recipient of great criticism. It is seen as an elitist gathering of the super-rich. For example, this year Elon Musk's attacks towards WEF have caused buzz. But, also the words of World Economic Forum, President Klaus Schwab, caused concern.
Do you want to know what happened? I have a secon part of this article coming
out soon. Stay tuned!
Matteo S.C.,
4sc
No comments:
Post a Comment