The World Economic Forum (WEF) is holding its 56th Annual Meeting from 19-23 January 2026 at Davos, Switzerland, bringing together global political, economic, and social leaders.
About World Economic Forum (WEF)
- Foundation:
- Founded in 1971 as an independent, not-for-profit foundation with a transformative vision that business should not only create economic value but also serve society and protect the planet.
- The Forum promotes the idea that economic growth must align with social responsibility and environmental sustainability.
- Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland, with additional offices in New York, San Francisco, Beijing, and Tokyo.
- Founder:
- The Forum was established by Klaus Schwab, a German economist, originally as the European Management Forum
- His academic contributions introduced influential concepts such as stakeholder capitalism, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and corporate global citizenship.
- Evolution of the Forum’s Mandate:
- The collapse of the Bretton Woods system and the 1973 Arab–Israeli War expanded the Forum’s focus from management issues to global economic and social governance.
- 1975: The Forum introduced a membership system for leading global corporations.
- 1987: It was formally renamed the World Economic Forum.
- 2015: It was officially recognized as an international organization.
- Funding Structure: The WEF is primarily funded by partnering multinational corporations, generally with annual revenues exceeding USD 5 billion.
- Governance Structure:
- Board of Trustees: The Forum is guided by a Board of Trustees comprising eminent individuals from business, politics, academia, and civil society, who act as custodians of its mission and values without representing personal or professional interests.
- Managing Board: The Managing Board, chaired by President, functions as the executive body of the Forum, ensuring alignment with its mission and representing the organization externally.
- Managing Directors: Managing Directors oversee specific thematic and regional areas, applying their expertise across the Forum’s centres and initiatives
- Executive Committee: The Forum’s activities are managed by an Executive Committee consisting of leaders from over 30 nationalities, reflecting its global character.
- Role in Diplomacy and Global Cooperation:
- The Forum has acted as a catalyst for trust-based diplomacy, including facilitating dialogue between Greece and Türkiye in 1988 and supporting South Africa’s peaceful democratic transition through interactions between Nelson Mandela and South African President F.W. de Klerk F.W. de Klerk.
- Contribution to Global Health and Development: The WEF played a pivotal role in supporting the creation of the GAVI Vaccine Alliance.
- Initiatives for Inclusive Growth:
- Reskilling Revolution: Through this initiative the Forum aims to prepare one billion people for the future of work by addressing skill gaps caused by technological change.
- The EDISON Alliance aimed to expand digital inclusion to one billion people by 2025, particularly in underserved regions.
- Meetings and Engagement Platforms:
- The Forum organizes major global gatherings such as the Annual Meeting in Davos and the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in China, which convene leaders across sectors to deliberate on long-term global challenges.
- It also hosts thematic and regional meetings, including the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings and Industry Strategy Meetings, to promote focused policy dialogue
- Major Reports: Global Gender Gap Report, Future of Jobs Report, Global Risks Report, Global Cybersecurity Outlook, and the Global Cooperation Barometer among others.
- Genesis of the G20: In 1998, WEF highlighted the need to involve major developing economies in global economic governance, contributing to the emergence of the G20, initially as a forum for finance ministers and later evolving into a leaders’ summit.
- Theme for 2026: “A Spirit of Dialogue”
23 Jan 2026
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