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Annual Report 2018–2019 Annual Report 2018 –2019 www.weforum.org Contents World Economic Forum ® © 2019, All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system. 4 Letter from the Executive Chairman 70 India and South Asia 72 Japan 6 Letter from the President and 74 Latin America Managing Board 76 The Middle East and North Africa 78 North America 8 Our Platforms 80 International Organizations and Informal Gathering of Global Leaders 10 Accelerating Business Transformation 82 Our Foundations 12 Enabling Industry Transformation and 84 Community of Global Shapers Improving the State of the World 86 Forum of Young Global Leaders 88 Schwab Foundation for Social Shaping the Future of… Entrepreneurship 14 Advanced Manufacturing and Production 16 Consumption 90 Our Core Functions 18 Digital Economy and New Value Creation 92 The Forum as Convenor 20 Energy 94 Our Multistakeholder Communities 22 Financial and Monetary Systems 100 Business Engagement 24 Media, Entertainment and Culture 102 Public Engagement 26 Mobility 104 Strategic Intelligence 106 People and Culture 28 Accelerating Socio-Economic Progress 108 Finance and Operations 110 Compliance and Institutional Affairs Shaping the Future of… 112 Our Global Presence 30 Global Public Goods 116 Governance and Leadership 34 Health and Healthcare 38 The New Economy and Society 120 Financial Statements 42 International Trade and Investment 44 Investing 46 Accelerating Agile Governance Shaping the Future of… 48 Cybersecurity and Digital Trust 52 Technology Governance 56 Regional and Geopolitical Activities 58 Responding to a Multi-Conceptual World 60 Africa 62 Asia-Pacific 64 China 66 Eurasia 68 Europe 4 Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN Committed to Improving the State of the World Dear Stakeholders, challenged by its own outcomes. A burgeoning global population has triggered consumption patterns that For 50 years, the World Economic Forum has had a push against the environmental limits of our world, while single guiding vision: to be the platform where business, the transforming nature of our economies and societies government, civil society and other stakeholders work is fundamentally impacting the fabric of inclusion, together to address critical global issues. This ambition equality and opportunities for all. Global risks threaten has held constant even as the world has changed catastrophe, and technological disruption — in the form almost beyond recognition. of the Fourth industrial Revolution — is posing profound questions about what it means to be human. Today, we live in a world that has been irreversibly interconnected through communications, technology, At the same time, the global governance architecture trade, culture, markets, finance and people. The world that was created to steward the world through an earlier has seen substantial progress. Yet this progress is age of disruption is no longer fit for purpose. As we look The Forum was founded on my conviction that no stakeholder alone can sustainably address the technological, environmental and social challenges of an interdependent, “multidisciplinary and fast-transforming world. This is as true today as it has ever been. back at a unipolar world, we have entered an era defined I am deeply grateful to all who engage with us on our by multiple concepts of governance. We urgently need a critical mission — businesses, governments, international new collaborative approach to our shared future. organizations, academia, young people, civil society and all stakeholders who give their time, energy and strength 5 The Forum was founded on my conviction that of purpose to drive collaborative action. It is a special no stakeholder alone can sustainably address the privilege to lead the Forum’s team of 800 talented and technological, environmental and social challenges of an dedicated colleagues, driving forward the priorities interdependent, multidisciplinary and fast-transforming determined by our committed Board of Trustees. world. This is as true today as it has ever been. As the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation, the Forum provides a trusted space for informed collaboration and cooperation between all stakeholders. It is a passionate, mission-driven organization. This year, it has again demonstrated its entrepreneurial, pragmatic and efficient spirit in all its activities, reinforcing its reputation as a successful catalyst for enabling and driving global cooperation. That capacity will be strengthened considerably as we enter our sixth decade. This year my colleagues and I have continued to drive the strategy that will take the organization into its next stage of evolution, designed to multiply the power of impact of the Forum’s community of communities. As the Forum enters this new phase, it will harness the energy and drive of its stakeholders by evolving into a network of platforms, each independent yet interconnected. These platforms will provide stakeholders with structured, efficient ways to drive leadership from within the systems that shape the issues. In a fragmented world, the Forum serves a unique role as a constructive and collaborative force in shaping global, regional and industry futures. We strive to fulfil our role in ways that are fit for purpose and for the times in which we live, always being agile, multistakeholder, forward-looking and solutions-oriented. 6 Back row: Adrian Monck, Jeremy Jurgens, Murat Sönmez, Alois Zwinggi, Julien Gattoni, Dominic Kailash Nath Waughray, W. Lee Howell Front row: Richard Samans, Sarita Nayyar, Olivier M. Schwab, Saadia Zahidi, Børge Brende, President, Anil Menon, Emma Benameur LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND MANAGING BOARD The International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation The World Economic Forum’s 49th year of operation The Forum is working to expand the geometry was critical in its evolution as a new kind of international of international cooperation at a time when our organization, one that is multistakeholder, multidisciplinary interdependent and multipolar world is facing important and top-level. It serves the needs of the international challenges that no single set of actors can resolve alone, community by providing a platform for advancing and for which the business community has critical systemic improvements in cooperation and governance capabilities that need to be activated. through the engagement of multiple stakeholders, industries, technologies, regions and intellectual Organizational efforts this year focused on extending our disciplines. The Forum’s vision and role are uniquely suited network of platforms, designed to enable stakeholders to these fast-moving and complex times, requiring agility, to lead, engage or monitor initiatives and challenges. engagement and support from leading stakeholders from Because they provide greater access to Forum networks, all walks of life, the creative application of interdisciplinary digital tools, events and communications, these platforms skill and a high-performance team. make it easier for community members to create their own multistakeholder projects on a self-organized, The continuous and deep engagement with top distributed basis. They demonstrate a major step in government leaders is a critical aspect of the Forum’s the Forum’s journey to increase its impact and catalyse capacity to make change and is increasingly important action well beyond the power of its internal resources to in times of accelerating disruption and geopolitical shifts. harness the passion and intent of the wider community. The Forum continues to strengthen its efforts to provide a neutral environment for informal diplomatic dialogues. The Forum’s strategic objective is for external For instance, the talks between the leaders of Greece collaborators to lead approximately 80% of initiatives by and the then Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 2020, against about 50% today. at the Annual Meeting 2018 set the foundations for a historical agreement. The meeting resulted in a This year at the Forum was characteristically marked resolution between the countries that entered into force by notable achievements. Many are outlined in this earlier this year. document, with two holding particular institutional significance. The Forum’s Public Engagement activities support its positioning as a distinctive partner of business, First, the Forum and the United Nations signed a government and civil society. The Annual Meeting in Partnership Agreement to accelerate the implementation Davos-Klosters generates more coverage than any of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. global event outside sports. During the year, the Forum Signed in the presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio was mentioned in the media 564,000 times. Its digital Guterres and World Economic Forum Founder and presence continued to grow: in 2018, more than a billion Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, the Agreement minutes of Forum content were consumed across the identifies six areas of focus — financing the 2030 internet, a 79% increase on 2017. Agenda, climate change, health, digital cooperation, 7 gender equality and the empowerment of women, Strategic insight capabilities continued to support Forum and education and skills — to strengthen and broaden activities this year, during which 28 reports and 49 White their organizations’ combined influence by building on Papers were published.
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