NEW DELHI: The World Economic Forum will host a five-day online summit in January 2021, during which heads of state and government will deliver special addresses and engage in dialogue with business leaders at the start of a "crucial year to rebuild trust".
Named 'Davos Agenda', the online meeting would take place around the same time -- from January 25-29 -- during which the WEF has been holding its Annual Meeting every year in the Swiss ski resort town.
While the WEF's Davos 2020 summit was the last major global event that took place before almost the entire world got locked down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the next annual meeting has been shifted to May 2021 and is scheduled to be held in Lucerne-Burgenstock, Switzerland.
The 'Davos Agenda' will also mark the launch of WEF's 'Great Reset Initiative' and begin the preparation of the special Annual Meeting in the spring, said the Geneva-based entity, which describes itself as an international organisation for public-private cooperation.
In a statement, the WEF said the 'Davos Agenda' is a pioneering mobilisation of global leaders to rebuild trust to shape the principles, policies and partnerships needed in 2021 and it will see active participation of heads of state, CEOs, civil society leaders, global media and youth leaders from Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America and Latin America.
"2021 is a crucial year to rebuild trust. The world is at a crossroads. The pandemic has reversed important gains in the global fight against unemployment, climate change and poverty.
Leaders must come together for decisive and inclusive action," WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab said.
Building a better future for work, accelerating stakeholder capitalism, and harnessing the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be important topics on the Davos Agenda.
Heads of state and of government and international organisations will give special addresses on the state of the world, besides engaging in dialogue with business leaders.
Industry leaders and public figures will discuss how to advance and accelerate public-private collaboration on critical issues such as COVID-19 vaccination, job creation and climate change, among others, the WEF said.