Leaders from Australia, Brazil, Iran, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and UK to Address 44th World Economic Forum Meeting

GENEVA, Switzerland – More than 2,500 participants, including more than 40 heads of state or government, will convene at the 44th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, taking place from 22 to 25 January 2014 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

Presidents and prime ministers from the G20 countries who will address the Meeting include: Tony Abbot, Prime Minister of Australia and 2014 Chair of the G20; Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan; David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Enrico Letta, Prime Minister of Italy; Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico; Park Geun-Hye, President of the Republic of Korea; and Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil.

Among leading public figures who will participate in the Annual Meeting 2014 are: Didier Burkhalter, President of the Swiss Confederation and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Rania Al Abdullah, Queen of Jordan; Kofi Annan, Chairman, Kofi Annan Foundation, Switzerland; Secretary-General, United Nations (1997-2006); Roberto Azevedo, Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO), Geneva; Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations, New York; Eric I. Cantor, Majority Leader and Congressman from Virginia (Republican), 7th District, USA; Mark J. Carney, Governor of the Bank of England; Mario Draghi, President, European Central Bank, Frankfurt; Laurent Fabius, Foreign Minister of France; Michael Froman, US Trade Representative; Angel Gurría, Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Paris; Jim Yong Kim, President, The World Bank, Washington DC; Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington DC; Patrick Leahy, Senator and President Pro Tempore of the US Senate, USA; Jacob J. Lew, US Secretary of the Treasury; John McCain, Senator from Arizona (Republican), USA; Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel; Shimon Peres, President of Israel; Penny Pritzker, US Secretary of Commerce, Olli Rehn, Vice-President, Economic and Monetary Affairs, European Commission, Brussels; Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran; and U Thein Sein, President of Myanmar.

Participants will also include more than 1,500 business leaders from the Forum’s 1,000 Member companies, 300 public figures as well as recognized leaders from other Forum communities, including Social Entrepreneurs, Global Shapers, Young Global Leaders and Technology Pioneers. Representatives from international organizations, civil society and spiritual leaders, academia and the media, as well as cultural leaders will also participate in the Meeting.

This year’s Annual Meeting convenes with the world at a critical juncture, as the subsidence of short-term economic crises gives way to a profound need for further structural reforms in emerging and developed markets, and international relations continue to be disrupted by an increasingly multipolar world. Taking place at the beginning of the year, the Annual Meeting will address the challenges facing the world in 2014, with the aim to create a completely new context for insightful, future-oriented decision-making.

“There is no place in the world where so many stakeholders of our global future assemble, all united by the mission of improving the state of the world,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

The Annual Meeting 2014 will provide an unparalleled platform for leaders to map the complexity and interconnectivity of today’s changing world. Under the theme The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business, the official programme will focus on:

Disruptive Innovation: Scientific breakthroughs and technological forces are radically transforming the way we live, learn, communicate and collaborate. How can people, organizations, industries and institutions turn disruption into long-term opportunities?

Inclusive Growth: Widening inequality and the declining potency of long-standing growth models raises fundamental concerns around global, regional and industry drivers of prosperity. What models, sectors and industries will generate resilient and equitable growth?

Society’s New Expectations: An alarming effect of the financial crisis is the widespread erosion of confidence in business and government leaders. What are the necessary steps to orient businesses to the longer term, make governments more accountable and strengthen civic participation?

A World of 9 Billion: As a result of robust growth, millions of people are wealthier, healthier and living longer lives. Yet the escape from destitution by many put high costs on resources and the environment. How can economies embark on a more sustainable path to development?

Among the many highlights in the programme are sessions on climate change and the post-2015 development goals, the future of health and healthcare, the pressing youth unemployment challenge, economic prospects in major emerging economies including China, India, Brazil, Mexico and Russia, as well as the future of North Africa and the Middle East.

In close to 250 sessions, participants will gain a deep understanding of the profound forces transforming today’s economies and societies, and develop the necessary perceptions, ideas, initiatives and actions to respond. “Digital Davos” will bring more conversations than ever to a global audience thanks to live streaming from more than 60 sessions and live tweeting from many others.

Heads of state or government are from: Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

The Co-Chairs of the Annual Meeting 2014 are: Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Group, Nigeria; Kris Gopalakrishnan, President, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Vice-Chairman, Infosys, India; Jiang Jianqing, Chairman of the Board, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, People’s Republic of China; Joseph Jimenez, Chief Executive Officer, Novartis, Switzerland; Christophe de Margerie, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Total, France; Marissa Mayer, Chief Executive Officer, Yahoo, USA; and Judith Rodin, President, Rockefeller Foundation, USA.