Press Release Open Davos Forum World Economic Forum, January 21st

World Economic Forum, Annual Meeting 2009 - "Shaping the Post-Crisis World", Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 28 January - 1 February 2009 Website WEF

Press Release WEF, Geneva, Switzerland, 21 January 2009 – The World Economic Forum today unveiled the programme for its 39th Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters. The overarching theme of the meeting, which will take place from 28 January to 1 February, is “Shaping the Post-Crisis World”. Over the course of the five-day meeting, more than 2,500 participants from 96 countries will convene in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, including a record 41 heads of state or government. Key finance, foreign affairs, trade and energy ministers will join heads of non-governmental organizations, social entrepreneurs and religious leaders at the Meeting. Around 60% of the participants are business leaders drawn principally from the Forum's members – 1,000 of the foremost companies from around the world and across all economic sectors.

As well as looking at the immediate crisis and ways to stabilize and relaunch the global economy, the Annual Meeting programme also pinpoints a number of interrelated global risks including climate change, food and water security. The Meeting will also consider the institutions that the world needs to cooperate and confront global challenges and will look to improve the ethical value base for business as a constructive social actor.

Speaking at a press conference at the World Economic Forum’s headquarters in Geneva, Founder and Executive Chairman Professor Klaus Schwab said: “The Annual Meeting 2009 is one of the most crucial in the near 40 year history of the World Economic Forum. The extraordinary participation in terms of political and business leaders and other stakeholders demonstrates that our Annual Meeting will be the place where key actors can address both a crisis of unprecedented scope and, at the same time, the sort of world we collectively want to see emerging once the crisis is over. What we are experiencing is the birth of a new era, a wake-up call to overhaul our institutions, our systems and, above all, our way of thinking.”

The Meeting’s programme will follow six programmatic tracks that are high on the global agenda in 2009. These include Promoting Stability in the Financial System and Reviving Global Economic Growth; Ensuring Effective Global, Regional and National Governance for the Long Term; Addressing the Challenges of Sustainability and Development; Shaping the Values and Leadership Principles for a Post-Crisis World; Catalysing the Next Wave of Growth through Innovation, Science and Technology; and Understanding the Implications on Industry Business Models.