WEF draws world leaders to Davos
The top United States official in Iraq, Paul Bremer, and US Attorney General John Ashcroft are to attend next week’s World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos.
The theme for this year’s meeting is “Partnering for Security and Prosperity”.
More than 2,100 business and political leaders from 94 countries are expected to gather in the Swiss resort from January 21 to 25.
Unveiling the guest list at WEF headquarters in Geneva on Tuesday, executive chairman and founder, Klaus Schwab, urged world leaders to work in partnership to deliver security and prosperity.
“We will not have strong sustained economic growth across the world unless we have security,” he said. “But we will not have security in unstable parts of the world without the prospect of prosperity.”
“To have both security and prosperity we must have peace.”
Key players
The list of participants includes the United Nations secretary-general, Kofi Annan, Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed El-Baradei.
In all, more than 30 heads of state or government, 75 cabinet ministers, 28 religious leaders, 18 union leaders and more than 50 heads of non-governmental organisations are expected to attend.
Syria has been invited to the summit for the first time, while five of Switzerland’s seven cabinet ministers are due to make an appearance.
More than 800 chairmen and chief executives from the world’s leading companies are participating.
Among the 54 non-governmental organisations represented are Amnesty International, the WWF and Save the Children.
Global security
Seven key topics are being debated under the theme of “Partnering for Security and Prosperity”.
These include ensuring global security, promoting global growth, managing new risks, building corporate resilience, spurring innovation, harnessing the diversity of values and reducing inequity.
Schwab expressed cautious optimism about this year’s forum.
“Unlike previous years, there are positive signals from the world of politics. As regards the economy, we are also optimistic,” he said. “But there is also a lot of uncertainty.”
Protests
On Tuesday anti-globalisation groups in Switzerland called for further protests against US policy in Iraq.
They plan to host a one-day conference in Zurich on Saturday ahead of the annual gathering of the WEF.
Other issues on the agenda at “The Other Davos” include plans to demonstrate against cuts in social security spending.
Alessandro Pelizzari, secretary of Attac Switzerland and the event’s coordinator, said around 1,000 people representing 50 organisations were expected to attend.
British author Tariq Ali and the American economist, David Harvey, have been invited to take part.
The theme for this year’s event is “The globalisation of violence – Imperialism and global dispossession”.
swissinfo with agencies
The World Economic Forum meeting is taking place in Davos from January 21-25.
Partnering for Security and Prosperity is this year’s theme.
More than 2,100 business and political leaders from 94 countries are expected to attend.
Syria has been invited to the summit for the first time.
Five of Switzerland’s seven cabinet ministers are expected to attend.
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