Head of aid organisation says Davos is not living up to its task

Head of aid organisation: Davos is not living up to its task Keystone-SDA

The World Economic Forum (WEF) pays too little attention to humanitarian crises, according to the aid organisation International Rescue Committee (IRC).

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“There were gaps on global issues in Davos,” IRC President David Miliband told DPA in the Swiss resort of Davos.

The former British Foreign Secretary criticised the participants for focusing on themselves and their problems.

US President Donald Trump and the Greenland conflict with Europe as well as the appearance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made the headlines at the annual meeting of the WEF.

Specifically, Miliband criticised the fact that major humanitarian crises such as the conflict in Sudan were barely present, even though they affect millions of people and have a significant regional impact. The climate crisis had also been neglected, he said.

“Climate change doesn’t stop just because Davos stops talking about it.” Climate change and conflicts are closely linked and must always be on the agenda, he said.

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Miliband criticised the US and other countries for withdrawing from international responsibility. The US could not be replaced as the anchor of the global system, he said.

“We are moving towards a kind of patchwork multilateralism. The danger here is that the major global problems will not be tackled appropriately,” said Miliband. Davos is currently only fulfilling its role as a forum for these key issues to a limited extent, he said.

Adapted from German by AI/ts

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