Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, be among the speakers at the online gathering of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The global event is being held online this year instead of its regular meeting place at a Swiss ski resort in Davos due to coronavirus pandemic.
The conference to be held from January 25 to January 29 will also host Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, the Geneva-based organization said.
Heads of state and government, chief executives, and civil society leaders will convene under the theme: A Crucial Year to Rebuild Trust. The WEF Davos Agenda will bring together the world's foremost leaders to address the new global situation.
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The global leaders are meeting when the global economy in the throes of the greatest crisis in living memory, including spiralling unemployment and inequality.
The meeting will create impact, rebuild trust, and shape the policies and partnerships needed in 2021, said WEF adding that the gathering will discuss a range of topics from equitable economic and social structures to the digitisation and the climate crisis.
"In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to reset priorities and the urgency to reform systems have been growing stronger around the world," said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.
"Rebuilding trust and increasing global cooperation are crucial to fostering innovative and bold solutions to stem the pandemic and drive a robust recovery. This unique meeting will be an opportunity for leaders to outline their vision and address the most important issues of our time, such as the need to accelerate job creation and to protect the environment."
Leaders from international organizations, government agencies, and central banks include Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations (UN), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO), Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and Christine Lagarde, President, European Central Bank.
More than 1,000 leaders from the Forum's member and partner organizations will represent the private sector. Seven of the top ten companies by market capitalization are engaged year-round with the Forum, and many will participate in The Davos Agenda week. As a working meeting to advance ongoing project work, more than 500 chief executives and chairpersons will participate in sessions throughout the week, said WEF.
Usually, the WEF's annual meeting is held in the mountain resort every January, but due to the pandemic, the in-person event has been delayed and is now scheduled in May in Singapore.