“Едно уникално, несигурно и бурно десетилетие, което предстои и 1то връщане назад в човешкото развитие от десетилетия”
Народите ще обеднеят и пак ще плащат за всичко, а от управляващите зависи само кога и колко, и дали ще помогнем на природата, и да се спасим от криза за ресурси през 2030
Линк за участие в Давос 2023 – 3 дни за записване
“Едно уникално, несигурно и бурно десетилетие, което предстои” – СИФ
Народите ще обеднеят и пак ще плащат за всичко, а от управляващите зависи само кога и колко, и дали ще помогнем на природата, и да се спасим от криза за ресурси през 2030
11 януари 2023 г. Оловно тежък доклад (Global Risks Report 2023) 2за бъдещето на човечеството публикува днес, може би най-авторитетната организация в света, оценяваща и определяща посоките на развитието – “Световен Иконономически Форум” (СИФ, World Economic Forum (WEF)). Обусловена от най-голям брой участници по Планетата, не само от възможно най-висок калибър в политическата власт и бизнеса, но и учени и експерти в сублимните области на икономиката и другите решаващи “депа” на съществуването. Най-известна с ежегодишшните срещи на топ-оф-дъ-топ лидери, които организира високо в Алпите в Давос, Швейцария, благодарение на създателя си проф. Клаус Мартин Шваб (Klaus Martin Schwab), швейцарски икономист от германски произход.
Тази година срещата на най-влиятелните фигури е на 16 януари и всеки един от вас може да участва, на ниво, което може да си избере сам, има и БЕЗплатно, и за да няма ваши оправдания и мой егоизъм, ето просто кликнете тук Join the Forum and help shape a better future.
Учен и експерт, със 7 звания „почетен доктор“ и 2 „почетен професор“, дори в Израел и Китай, д-р Шваб, е личност, която дълбоко уважавам, защото започва инженер, след това става икономист (и двете в Швейцария) и управленец (Харвард). Защото винаги съм твърдял, че “от инженер става всичко, но обратното е невъзможно”. И защото и аз минах по този път, инДЖенер, МИО и журналистика.
Какво сега, надувам се, нали? Споко, нито стигнах до Швейцария, а до Ел Ей, и световен форум не създадох, а само местен, и то български, едвам 1те наши печатно издание и училище.
Та, защо се обяснявам, защото дори в личен план, вярвам на тази организация. Добре де, сега ви предлагам още нещо, освен “глупости”, които очаквате, след “минутите за реклама”? Избрани “куршуми”, които ще ни “уцелят”, както и възможните “живи мишени”, които ще достигнат през следващите две до десет години. Както и как и къде се е “забъркало оловото”.
Лиричното отклонение свърши, да започваме. И вместо пак да се чудите, дали съм луд и какво знам аз, за да не ми пука, “отсвирете ме”, и вижте какво казват тези, които наистина, ама наистина знаят. И толкова пари са инвестирали в наука, изследвания и работа, че аз съм тотален “годподин за един ден”. Няма да ги редактирам в превода, а за 100%-то ви доверие, съм заложил и на оригинал на английски език на “барутната есенция”, плюс линк за целия доклад. Та, ако някой ви манипулира, това сте си самите вие.
Трябва да ви припомня, че организацията, водена от проф. Шваб, работи и в един вид “среда на конкуренция” през годините. Подобни глобални “пророчески” доклади дойдоха и от ООН, под формата на “дневен ред” (agenda), които достатъчно добре прогнозираха и ни подготвиха за ключови събития и периоди в историята, и носят подписите на болшинството държави.
“Дневен ред 21” (AGENDA 21, 1992, Rio) с цел да определи международна програма за действие на ООН за постигане на устойчиво развитие през 21 век.
И съвпадащата в прогнозното време с доклада на СИФ втора адженда на ООН AGENDA 2030.
Нападението на Русия над Украйна e пълномащабно военно нахлуване, започнало в ранните часове на 24 февруари 2022 г. То представлява най-драматичната ескалация на Руско-украинската война, последвала Евромайдана – размириците от 2014 г. Те са използвани от Русия за анексиране на Крим и паралелна война в Донбас. Заради нападението си над своя независим съсед на Русия са наложени масивни санкции от ЕС, САЩ, Великобритания, Канада и други.
За световно съжаление и СИФ, и ООН,
пропуснаха само едно събитие, което развали всички прогнози, и в момента е основно на “световната сцена” и в т.г. доклад на СИФ – войната в Украйна.
Но, за причинителя Путин СИФ взе бързи мерки, и през август 2022 г. замрази отношенията си с Русия, вкл. стратегически партньорства с конгломерати, управлявани от руски олигарси. Но, умно, “замразени, но не мъртви, СИФ остави отворена възможността да служи като мост между Русия и Украйна, СЛЕД като активният конфликт ПРИКЛЮЧИ“. Това подчерта тогава в публикация авторитетното американско издание “Политико” (POLITICO), като добави, че “основателят на форума, Клаус Шваб, се гордее, че прави годишната си среща в Давос отворена за всички желаещи, включително чрез лични отношения с Путин, датиращи от началото на 90-те години”.
“Представяйки Путин на виртуална среща в Давос през януари 2021 г., Шваб нарече гласа на Путин „съществен“ в световните дела, повтаряйки коментар от 2009 г., че не може да измисли нито един въпрос от глобално значение, който може да бъде решен без участието на Русия,” поясняват от американското издание.
Статистката на Политико още сочи, че реално “Путин и неговият предшественик на президентския пост Дмитрий Медведев директно са правили обръщения (адрес) към СИФ само 5 пъти за 14 години (2007-2021), като Путин дори е бил поканен да говори през януари 2015 г., след нахлуването на Русия в Крим, но той е отхвърлил поканата”. Тогава СИФ НЕ прекратява отношенията си с Русия.
След подготвителните обяснения, които доста от вас са раздразнили, сега вече “пуснете хронометъра за истинската игра”. И, вместо пакетче семки, както на стадиона или парламента, за разтуха си сипете един ароматен сингълмалц, като едни “по-големи чичковци”, които ни обещават
“едно уникално, несигурно и бурно десетилетие, което предстои”.
Figure B | Short- and long-term global outlook
Ако не ви работи хронометъра за подобни глобални доклади, и няма да четете, то знайте, че основното е, че
народите ще обеднеят и пак ще плащат за всичко, а от управляващите зависи само кога и колко, и дали ще помогнем на природата, и да се спасим от криза за ресурси през 2030.
Проучването за доклада е проведено сред 1200 експерти и политици и бе публикувано днес.
Оцеляването, или кризата с разходите за живот (на народите) е най-големият риск през идните две години. За причини в доклада си СИФ посочва инфлацията, влошена от войната в Украйна и постпандемичното отваряне на икономиката и връщането към „новото нормално“ след вируса КОВИД-19, който експресно ни напусна. Това създава значително напрежение в многобройни региони на света, тласкайки милиони хора към крайна бедност. И същевременно се засилва социалното напрежение, което в момента вече надвишава последиците от природните бедствия и екстремни природни явления, определяни досега, като най-големия дългосрочен риск.
“С началото на 2023 г. светът е изправен пред набор от рискове, които изглеждат едновременно напълно нови и зловещо познати. Виждали сме
връщане на „по-стари“ рискове – инфлация, кризи на цената на живота, търговски войни, изтичане на капитал от нововъзникващи пазари, широко разпространени социални вълнения, геополитическа конфронтация и призракът на ядрената война
– което малцина от бизнес лидерите и създателите на обществени политики на това поколение са изпитали. Те се засилват от сравнително нови развития в глобалния пейзаж на рисковете, включително неустойчиви нива на дълг,
нова ера на нисък растеж, ниски глобални инвестиции и деглобализация, спад в човешкото развитие след десетилетия напредък, бързо и неограничено развитие на технологии с двойна употреба (цивилни и военни) и нарастващия натиск от въздействието и амбициите на изменението на климата … Заедно те се събират във форма на
едно уникално, несигурно и бурно десетилетие, което предстои.”
В доклада се посочва, че световната пандемия и войната в Европа са извели на пръв план кризите с електроенергията, инфлацията, храненето и безопасността, съответно и риска от поляризация на обществата заради дезинформация и недостоверна информация и заради геоикономическите войни.
Информацията в доклада Global Risks Report 2023 е събрана три глави.
Глава 1 разглежда нарастващото въздействие на настоящите кризи (т.е. глобалните рискове, които вече се разгръщат) върху най-тежките глобални рискове, които мнозина очакват да възникнат в краткосрочен план (две години).
Глава 2 разглежда подбор от рискове, които е вероятно да бъдат най-сериозни в дългосрочен план (10 години), изследвайки нововъзникващи или бързо ускоряващи се икономически, екологични, обществени, геополитически и технологични рискове, които биха могли да се превърнат в утрешни кризи.
Глава 3 си представя възникващите рискове, които могат колективно да се превърнат в
„поликриза“, центрирана около недостига на природни ресурси до 2030 г.
Докладът завършва с разглеждане на възприятията за сравнителното състояние на готовност за тези рискове и подчертаване на факторите, които позволяват да се начертае курс към един по-устойчив свят.
10-те основни риска през следващото 10-летие според доклада на СИФ
Ето накратко най-основните констатации от доклада.
+++ Разходите за живот доминират глобалните рискове през следващите две години, докато неуспехът на действията за климата доминира през следващото десетилетие. Геоикономическа конфронтация“ и „Ерозия на социалното сближаване и обществена поляризация“, заедно с двама нови участници в челните класации: „Широко разпространена киберпрестъпност и кибернесигурност“ и „Мащабна принудителна миграция“.
+++ Следващата икономическа ера ще донесе повече рискове от стагнация, разминаване и бедствия. Влизаме в ера на рязко нарастваща инфлация, нисък растеж и ниски инвестиции. Слага се край на нисколихвените заеми. Правителствата и централните банки ще бъдат изправени пред упорит инфлационен натиск.
Нарастваща бедност, дори глад, насилствени протести, политическа нестабилност и дори разпад на държави.
Икономическият натиск ще подкопае и средната класа – домакинствата със средни доходи, стимулирайки недоволството, продължавайки политическата поляризация и призивите за засилена социална защита.
Значителнлно увеличение на “дупката” между богати и бедни.
Първото връщане назад в човешкото развитие от десетилетия.
+++ Геополитическата фрагментация ще стимулира геоикономическите войни и ще увеличи риска от конфликти между различни области.
Икономическите войни се превръщат в норма с нарастващи сблъсъци между глобалните сили и пряка държавна намеса на пазарите (което вече се случва).
+++ Технологиите ще изострят неравенствата м/у хората и държавите, докато рисковете от киберсигурността ще останат постоянен проблем. Технологичният сектор ще бъде сред централните цели на по-силни индустриални политики и засилена пряка държавна намеса.
+++ Усилията за смекчаване на климата и адаптиране към него са поставени на рискован компромис, докато природата се срива.
Ускоряване на колапса на екосистемите, заплаха за доставките на храна и поминъка в уязвимите от климата икономики, засилване на въздействието на природните бедствия и ограничаване на по-нататъшния напредък в смекчаването на климата.
+++ Кризите с храните, горивата и разходите изострят уязвимостта на обществото, докато намаляващите инвестиции в човешкото развитие подкопават бъдещата устойчивост.+++ Тъй като нестабилността в множество области расте успоредно, рискът от поликризи се ускорява. Докладът описва четири потенциални за бъдеще, съсредоточени около недостига на храна, ресурси – вода и метали и минерали, всички от които могат да предизвикат хуманитарна, както и екологична криза.
В ОРИГИНАЛ ОТ САЙТА НА СИФ
World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2023
The world faces a set of risks that feel both wholly new and eerily familiar. The Global Risks Report 2023 explores some of the most severe risks we may face over the next decade. As we stand on the edge of a low-growth and low-cooperation era, tougher trade-offs risk eroding climate action, human development and future resilience.
The first years of this decade have heralded a particularly disruptive period in human history. The return to a “new normal” following the COVID-19 pandemic was quickly disrupted by the outbreak of war in Ukraine, ushering in a fresh series of crises in food and energy – triggering problems that decades of progress had sought to solve.
As 2023 begins, the world is facing a set of risks that feel both wholly new and eerily familiar. We have seen
a return of “older” risks – inflation, cost-of-living crises, trade wars, capital outflows from emerging markets, widespread social unrest, geopolitical confrontation and the spectre of nuclear warfare
– which few of this generation’s business leaders and public policy-makers have experienced. These are being amplified by comparatively new developments in the global risks landscape, including unsustainable levels of debt,
a new era of low growth, low global investment and de-globalization, a decline in human development after decades of progress, rapid and unconstrained development of dual-use (civilian and military) technologies, and the growing pressure of climate change impacts and ambitions in an ever-shrinking window for transition to a 1.5°C world. Together, these are converging to shape
a unique, uncertain and turbulent decade to come.
The Global Risks Report 2023 presents the results of the latest Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS). We use three time frames for understanding global risks. Chapter 1 considers the mounting impact of current crises (i.e. global risks which are already unfolding) on the most severe global risks that many expect to play out over the short term (two years). Chapter 2 considers a selection of risks that are likely to be most severe in the long term(10 years), exploring newly emerging or rapidly accelerating economic, environmental, societal, geopolitical and technological risks that could become tomorrow’s crises. Chapter 3 imagines mid-termfutures, exploring how connections between the emerging risks outlined in previous sections may collectively evolve into a “polycrisis” centred around natural resource shortages by 2030. The report concludes by considering perceptions of the comparative state of preparedness for these risks and highlighting enablers to charting a course to a more resilient world. Below are key findings of the report.
+++ Cost of living dominates global risks in the next two years while climate action failure dominates the next decade
The next decade will be characterized by environmental and societal crises, driven by underlying geopolitical and economic trends. “Cost-of-living crisis” is ranked as the most severe global risk over the next two years, peaking in the short term. “Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse” is viewed as one of the fastest deteriorating global risks over the next decade, and all six environmental risks feature in the top 10 risks over the next 10 years. Nine risks are featured in the top 10 rankings over both the short and the long term, including “Geoeconomic confrontation” and “Erosion of social cohesion and societal polarisation”, alongside two new entrants to the top rankings: “Widespread cybercrime and cyber insecurity” and “Large-scale involuntary migration”.
Global Risks Report 2023, Figure A | Global risks ranked by severity over the short and long term
+++ As an economic era ends, the next will bring more risks of stagnation, divergence and distress
The economic aftereffects of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have ushered in skyrocketing inflation, a rapid normalization of monetary policies and started a low-growth, low-investment era.
Governments and central banks could face stubborn inflationary pressures over the next two years, not least given the potential for a prolonged war in Ukraine, continued bottlenecks from a lingering pandemic, and economic warfare spurring supply chain decoupling. Downside risks to the economic outlook also loom large. A miscalibration between monetary and fiscal policies will raise the likelihood of liquidity shocks, signaling a more prolonged economic downturn and debt distress on a global scale. Continued supply-driven inflation could lead to stagflation, the socioeconomic consequences of which could be severe, given an unprecedented interaction with historically high levels of public debt. Global economic fragmentation, geopolitical tensions and rockier restructuring could contribute to widespread debt distress in the next 10 years.
Even if some economies experience a softer-than-expected economic landing,
the end of the low interest rate era
will have significant ramifications for governments, businesses and individuals. The knock-on effects will be felt most acutely by the most vulnerable parts of society and already-fragile states, contributing to
rising poverty, hunger, violent protests, political instability and even state collapse.
Economic pressures will also
erode gains made by middle-income households, spurring discontent, political polarization and calls for enhanced social protections
in countries across the world. Governments will continue to face a dangerous balancing act between protecting a broad swathe of their citizens from an elongated cost-of-living crisis without embedding inflation – and meeting debt servicing costs as revenues come under pressure from an economic downturn, an increasingly urgent transition to new energy systems, and a less stable geopolitical environment. The resulting new economic era may be one of growing
divergence between rich and poor
countries and the first rollback in human development in decades.
+++ Geopolitical fragmentation will drive geoeconomic warfare and heighten the risk of multi-domain conflicts
Economic warfare is becoming the norm, with increasing clashes between global powers and state intervention in markets
over the next two years. Economic policies will be used defensively, to build self-sufficiency and sovereignty from rival powers, but also will increasingly be deployed offensively to constrain the rise of others. Intensive geoeconomic weaponization will highlight security vulnerabilities posed by trade, financial and technological interdependence between globally integrated economies, risking an escalating cycle of distrust and decoupling. As geopolitics trumps economics, a longer-term rise in inefficient production and rising prices becomes more likely.Geographic hotspots that are critical to the effective functioning of the global financial and economic system, in particular in the Asia-Pacific, also pose a growing concern.
Interstate confrontations are anticipated by GRPS respondents to remain largely economic in nature over the next 10 years. However, the recent uptick in military expenditure and proliferation of new technologies to a wider range of actors could drive a global arms race in emerging technologies. The longer-term global risks landscape could be defined by multi-domain conflicts and asymmetric warfare, with the targeted deployment of new-tech weaponry on a potentially more destructive scale than seen in recent decades. Transnational arms control mechanisms must quickly adapt to this new security context, to strengthen the shared moral, reputational and political costs that act as a deterrent to accidental and intentional escalation.
+++ Technology will exacerbate inequalities while risks from cybersecurity will remain a constant concern
The technology sector will be among the central targets of stronger industrial policies and enhanced state intervention. Spurred by state aid and military expenditure, as well as private investment, research and development into emerging technologies will continue at pace over the next decade, yielding advancements in AI, quantum computing and biotechnology, among other technologies. For countries that can afford it, these technologies will provide partial solutions to a range of emerging crises, from addressing new health threats and a crunch in healthcare capacity, to scaling food security and climate mitigation. For those that cannot, inequality and divergence will grow. In all economies, these technologies also bring risks, from widening misinformation and disinformation to unmanageably rapid churn in both blue- and white-collar jobs.
However, the rapid development and deployment of new technologies, which often comes with limited protocols governing their use, poses its own set of risks. The ever-increasing intertwining of technologies with the critical functioning of societies is exposing populations to direct domestic threats, including those that seek to shatter societal functioning. Alongside a rise in cybercrime, attempts to disrupt critical technology-enabled resources and services will become more common, with attacks anticipated against agriculture and water, financial systems, public security, transport, energy and domestic, space-based and undersea communication infrastructure. Technological risks are not solely limited to rogue actors. Sophisticated analysis of larger data sets will enable the misuse of personal information through legitimate legal mechanisms, weakening individual digital sovereignty and the right to privacy, even in well-regulated, democratic regimes.
+++ Climate mitigation and climate adaptation efforts are set up for a risky trade-off, while nature collapses
Climate and environmental risks are the core focus of global risks perceptions over the next decade – and are the risks for which we are seen to be the least prepared. The lack of deep, concerted progress on climate action targets has exposed the divergence between what is scientifically necessary to achieve net zero and what is politically feasible. Growing demands on public-and private-sector resources from other crises will reduce the speed and scale of mitigation efforts over the next two years, alongside insufficient progress towards the adaptation support required for those communities and countries increasingly affected by the impacts of climate change.
As current crises diverts resources from risks arising over the medium to longer term, the burdens on natural ecosystems will grow given their still undervalued role in the global economy and overall planetary health. Nature loss and climate change are intrinsically interlinked – a failure in one sphere will cascade into the other. Without significant policy change or investment, the interplay between climate change impacts, biodiversity loss, food security and natural resource consumption will accelerate ecosystem collapse, threaten food supplies and livelihoods in climate-vulnerable economies, amplify the impacts of natural disasters, and limit further progress on climate mitigation.
+++ Food, fuel and cost crises exacerbate societal vulnerability while declining investments in human development erode future resilience
Compounding crises are widening their impact across societies, hitting the livelihoods of a far broader section of the population, and destabilizing more economies in the world, than traditionally vulnerable communities and fragile states. Building on the most severe risks expected to impact in 2023 – including “Energy supply crisis”, “Rising inflation” and “Food supply crisis” – a global Cost-of-living crisis is already being felt. Economic impacts have been cushioned by countries that can afford it, but many lower-income countries are facing multiple crises: debt, climate change and food security. Continued supply-side pressures risk turning the current cost-of-living crisis into a wider humanitarian crisis within the next two years in many import-dependent markets.
Associated social unrest and political instability will not be contained to emerging markets, as economic pressures continue to hollow out the middle-income bracket. Mounting citizen frustration at losses in human development and declining social mobility, together with a widening gap in values and equality, are posing an existential challenge to political systems around the world. The election of less centrist leaders as well as political polarization between economic superpowers over the next two years may also reduce space further for collective problem-solving, fracturing alliances and leading to a more volatile dynamic.
With a crunch in public-sector funding and competing security concerns, our capacity to absorb the next global shock is shrinking. Over the next 10 years, fewer countries will have the fiscal headroom to invest in future growth, green technologies, education, care and health systems. The slow decay of public infrastructure and services in both developing and advanced markets may be relatively subtle, but accumulating impacts will be highly corrosive to the strength of human capital and development – a critical mitigant to other global risks faced.
Figure B | Short- and long-term global outlook
+++ As volatility in multiple domains grows in parallel, the risk of polycrises accelerates
Concurrent shocks, deeply interconnected risks and eroding resilience are giving rise to the risk of polycrises – where disparate crises interact such that the overall impact far exceeds the sum of each part. Eroding geopolitical cooperation will have ripple effects across the global risks landscape over the medium term, including contributing to a potential polycrisis of interrelated environmental, geopolitical and socioeconomic risks relating to the supply of and demand for natural resources. The report describes four potential futures centred around food, water and metals and mineral shortages, all of which could spark a humanitarian as well as an ecological crisis – from water wars and famines to continued overexploitation of ecological resources and a slowdown in climate mitigation and adaption. Given uncertain relationships between global risks, similar foresight exercises can help anticipate potential connections, directing preparedness measures towards minimizing the scale and scope of polycrises before they arise.
In the years to come, as continued, concurrent crises embed structural changes to the economic and geopolitical landscape, they accelerate the other risks that we face. More than four in five GRPS respondents anticipate consistent volatility over the next two years at a minimum, with multiple shocks accentuating divergent trajectories. However, respondents are generally more optimistic over the longer term. Just over one-half of respondents anticipate a negative outlook, and nearly one in five respondents predict limited volatility with relative – and potentially renewed – stability in the next 10 years.
Indeed, there is still a window to shape a more secure future through more effective preparedness. Addressing the erosion of trust in multilateral processes will enhance our collective ability to prevent and respond to emerging cross-border crises and strengthen the guardrails we have in place to address well-established risks. In addition, leveraging the interconnectivity between global risks can broaden the impact of risk mitigation activities – shoring up resilience in one area can have a multiplier effect on overall preparedness for other related risks. As a deteriorating economic outlook brings tougher trade-offs for governments facing competing social, environmental and security concerns, investment in resilience must focus on solutions that address multiple risks, such as funding of adaptation measures that come with climate mitigation co-benefits, or investment in areas that strengthen human capital and development.
Some of the risks described in this year’s report are close to a tipping point. This is the moment to act collectively, decisively and with a long-term lens to shape a pathway to a more positive, inclusive and stable world.
Figure C | Global risks landscape: an interconnections map
Mission WEF
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.
The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
Deeply anchored in the public and private sectors, the Forum is the only global organization serving this role, bringing together the world’s foremost CEOs, heads of state, ministers and policy-makers, experts and academics, international organizations, youth, technology innovators and representatives of civil society in an impartial space with the aim of driving positive change.
The Forum is unique in this regard because it is:
Impartial – “no ideological or commercial interests. This does not mean that we are neutral – we are committed to improving the world in ways that are objective, measurable and sustainable.
Global – attention to challenges that affect the future of global society. “Because the world is an interconnected ecosystem, we believe that no issue is isolated – there are always effects and interdependencies, which we systematically and rigorously take into consideration.”
Holistic – perspectives from all interested parties. “We believe that the world’s challenges can only be solved through engagement with all members of global society.”
Forward-looking – focus on the long term, not the emergencies of the day. “Success is measured not only in terms of immediate results – we understand that real progress takes time and sustained commitment.
It was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is independent, impartial and not tied to any special interests. The Forum strives in all its efforts to demonstrate entrepreneurship in the global public interest while upholding the highest standards of governance. Moral and intellectual integrity is at the heart of everything it does.
Our activities are shaped by a unique institutional culture founded on the stakeholder theory, which asserts that an organization is accountable to all parts of society. The institution carefully blends and balances the best of many kinds of organizations, from both the public and private sectors, international organizations and academic institutions.
We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
See the history below.
Find out about our Foundation Regulations and Statutes.
History
Our interactive timeline captures key events from Fifty years of Forum history:
A Partner in Shaping History – The First 50 Years
The story of five decades of the World Economic Forum, as seen through the eyes of its members, leaders and the outside world.
The Forum is best known for its Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters. Through the years, numerous business, government and civil society leaders have made their way to the high Alps to consider the major global issues of the day and to brainstorm on solutions to address these challenges.
While many global institutions are notable for the breadth of nations or the powerful political leaders attending their gatherings, the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting and indeed all the activities and initiatives of the Forum around the world are distinguished by the active participation of government, business and civil society figures. The Forum engages the most experienced and the most promising, all working together in the collaborative and collegial ‘Spirit of Davos’.
Professor Klaus Schwab founded what was originally called the European Management Forum, as a non-profit foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland. It drew business leaders from Europe, and beyond, to Davos for an Annual Meeting each January.
Initially, Professor Schwab focused the meetings on how European firms could catch up with US management practices. He also developed and promoted the ‘stakeholder’ management approach, which based corporate success on managers taking account of all interests: not merely shareholders, clients and customers, but employees and the communities within which they operate, including government.
Professor Schwab’s vision for what would become the World Economic Forum grew steadilly as a result of achieving ‘milestones’. Events in 1973, namely the collapse of the Bretton Woods fixed exchange rate mechanism and the Arab-Israeli War, saw the Annual Meeting expand its focus from management to economic and social issues. Political leaders were invited for the first time to Davos in January 1974.
Two years later, the organization introduced a system of membership for ‘the 1,000 leading companies of the world’. The European Management Forum was the first non-governmental institution to initiate a partnership with China’s economic development commissions, spurring economic reform policies in China. Regional meetings around the globe were also added to the year’s activities, while the publication of the Global Competitiveness Report in 1979 saw the organization expand to become a knowledge hub as well.
In 1987, the European Management Forum became the World Economic Forum and sought to broaden its vision to include providing a platform for dialogue. World Economic Forum Annual Meeting milestones during this time include the Davos Declaration signed in 1988 by Greece and Turkey, which saw them turn back from the brink of war, while in 1989, North and South Korea held their first ministerial-level meetings in Davos. At the same Meeting, East German Prime Minister Hans Modrow and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl met to discuss German reunification. In 1992, South African President de Klerk met Nelson Mandela and Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi at the Annual Meeting, their first joint appearance outside South Africa and a milestone in the country’s political transition.
In 2015, the Forum was formally recognised as an international organization. It is now on the next phase of its journey as the global platform for public-private cooperation.
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