Imran Khan appears on Time cover ahead of WEF meeting

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will be in attendance as the rich and powerful from across the globe assemble this week at the Swiss ski resort town of Davos.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the event in the Swiss Alps and its theme is “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.” The annual economic gathering will run from January 21 until January 24.

US President Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince Charles, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Afghanistan’s Ashraf Ghani will be among the world leaders attending the five-day annual meeting. The 2020 event will convene nearly 3,000 participants from 117 countries, including 53 heads of states.

The World Economic Forum annual meeting 2020 will focus on stakeholder capitalism as a way of addressing the world’s challenges, from societal divisions created by income inequalities and political polarisation to the climate crisis.

In this regard, the renowned Time magazine has listed Prime Minister Imran Khan as among the top leader for environment.

He is also going to deliver a special address on the theme ‘Beyond Politics’ along with Norwegian politician Borge Brende, who has been serving as the WEF’s president since 2017. The address will broadcast from 15:45 to 16:15 CET which will streamed live and broadcast in many languages.

The meeting will be guided by the recently released Davos Manifesto 2020 which lays out a vision for stakeholder capitalism that addresses fair taxation, zero tolerance for corruption and respect for human rights.

“Business has now to fully embrace stakeholder capitalism, which means not only maximizing profits, but use their capabilities and resources in cooperation with governments and civil society to address the key issues of this decade. They have to actively contribute to a more cohesive and sustainable world,” said founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab.

The meeting will focus on six core areas of activity through which stakeholders can advance the mission of creating a more cohesive and sustainable world : Ecology, Economy, Society, Industry, Technology and Geopolitics.