RPT: PREVIEW - WEF 2019 To Try Reinvigorating Globalization Amid Rise Of Protectionism

DAVOS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2019) The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting, which will take place on January 22-25 in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, will run under the theme "Globalization 4.0," in a bid to re-brand and reinvigorate globalization in times of trade wars and protectionism.

Founder and executive chairman of the WEF Klaus Schwab has said ahead of the forum that the new wave of globalization should be "human-centered, inclusive and sustainable" despite global instability brought by technology and realignment of geopolitics.

It is precisely instability at home that made some potential outstanding guests of this year's WEF cancel their visits. US President Donald Trump called off his attendance earlier this month due to the continuing government shutdown. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who were supposed to be in the delegation, are also not coming.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May, locked in Brexit negotiations after she suffered a parliamentary defeat of her withdrawal deal, will not participate as well, while French President Emmanuel Macron pulled of the forum due to the continuing yellow vest anti-government protests.

Nevertheless, there will be around 60 heads of state present in Davos, which proves its status as the main venue for the global leaders to meet and set the course for the year to come.

Topping the list of participants are Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of Japan; Jair Bolsonaro, the president of Brazil; German Chancellor Angela Merkel; Wang Qishan, the vice-president of China; Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte; Barham Salih, the president of Iraq; Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani; Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz; Leo Varadkar, the taoiseach of Ireland; Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister; Rami Hamdallah, the prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority; Faiez Al Sarraj, the prime minister of the Government of National Accord of Libya; and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The forum will also be attended by heads of international organizations, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; Chief Executive Officer of the World Bank Kristalina Georgieva; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi; WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo; IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde; and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin will lead Russia's delegation to the forum.

In total, the WEF 2019 will bring together around 3,000 leaders from business, government, civil society, academia and arts and culture, according to the organizers.

Traditionally, the WEF also invites celebrities to speak on matters of social importance. This year, Prince William is expected to talk on mental health.

The forum's sessions cover the broadest possible range of international issues such as geopolitics and multipolarity, future of the economy, industry and cryptocurrencies as well as climate change and risk resilience.

To ensure security during the event, WEF organizers imposed a "no-fly zone" for all aircraft including drones, paragliders and hang gliders from January 21 to January 26. Therefore, the only troublemaker can be heavy snow, which was quite an issue last year, preventing even trains from reaching the town, and making emergency services use helicopters to take snow away to the neighboring areas. However, despite initial danger of avalanches, the weather seems to have normalized, and forecasts predict sunny and dry freeze.