WEF reschedules January meeting to summer 2021

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - The World Economic Forum (WEF) said Wednesday that its yearly meeting held in Davos' Swiss resort, usually in January, has been postponed to the summer of 2021.

"The decision was not taken easily, since the need for global leaders to come together to design a common recovery path and shape the 'Great Reset' in the post-COVID-19 era is so urgent,” said Adrian Monck, the WEF managing director of public engagement.

He said the WEF got advice from experts concerning the meeting "that we cannot do so safely in January."

The announcement came the same day Swiss health authorities said the Alpine nation had recorded 383 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 infections in the preceding 24 hours, the highest number there since mid-April.

During the week of Jan. 25, the WEF said it would digitally convene high-level "Davos Dialogues" where vital global leaders would share their views on the state of the world in 2021.

Monck said the WEF ensures that all conditions will be fulfilled to guarantee the health and safety of participants and the hosting community.

"The Forum continues to engage its partners and constituents in manifold, collaborative activities to address global, regional, and business challenges," said Monck.

He said that since February, almost 1,200 business, government, and civil society leaders had joined the Forum's COVID Action Platform following the pandemic's outbreak.

"In September, our Sustainable Development Impact Summit will bring the core principles of the Great Reset into focus, asking all of us how we can contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive future," said Monck.