New Delhi: The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual gathering of the rich and the powerful in Davos will focus on a post-pandemic world in January 2021.
The theme of the 51st World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is ‘The Great Reset’ and it will be a unique twin summit with both in-person and virtual dialogues.
It will connect “key global governmental and business leaders in Davos with a global multistakeholder network in 400 cities around the world for a forward-oriented dialogue driven by the younger generation,” notes a WEF statement.
Opening up the summit
‘The Great Reset’ will differ from previous annual meetings by engaging with thousands of young people from 400 cities, who will have the opportunity to virtually interact with leaders at Davos.
The annual meeting will be open to everyone via an open-house policy in multiple hubs. Global media and social media networks will be used to mobilise as many people as possible.
Climate change and its known disastrous consequences for humankind and the planet will be one of the top priorities.
“We only have one planet and we know that climate change could be the next global disaster with even more dramatic consequences for humankind. We have to decarbonize the economy in the short window still remaining and bring our thinking and behaviour once more into harmony with nature,” said Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of WEF in the statement.
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Need for ‘new social contract’
According to Schwab, the summit is necessary to “build a new social contract that honours the dignity of every human being” as the coronavirus pandemic has revealed the “unsustainability of our old system in terms of social cohesion, the lack of equal opportunities and inclusiveness”.
Agreeing, António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, said, “The Great Reset is a welcome recognition that this human tragedy must be a wake-up call. We must build more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies that are more resilient in the face of pandemics, climate change and the many other global changes we face.”
According to UK’s Prince Charles, this crisis has also taught us that we “need to put nature at the heart of how we operate”.
These statements were made at a virtual meeting attended by Prince Charles and Professor Schwab Wednesday.
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