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ZURICH: The World Economic Forum (WEF) will convene its Special Annual Meeting in Singapore next year from May 13-16.
The event will be the first global leadership event to address the global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the WEF said in a press release on Monday (December 7).
“This in-person meeting will bring leaders together to focus on shaping solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges,” he added.
The meeting is usually held in Davos, Switzerland, every year. “The change of location reflects the Forum’s priority of safeguarding the health and safety of the participants and the host community,” said WEF.
“After careful consideration, and in light of the current situation regarding COVID-19 cases, it was decided that Singapore was in the best position to host the meeting.”
In a press release on Monday, the Singapore Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MTI) said the WEF’s decision to hold the meeting in Singapore “reflects its confidence in our handling of the COVID-19 pandemic thus far.”
“The holding of the WEF Special Annual Meeting will have a positive impact on Singapore’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) sector and adjacent sectors such as hospitality,” added MTI.
Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said: “As the world battles COVID-19, there is even greater momentum for countries to cooperate, collaborate and partner with each other to address urgent global issues.”
Chan also expressed “confidence” in Singapore’s ability to maintain public health and safety “while supporting the WEF’s mission to bring about positive change through collaboration and commitment.”
MTI said this would be the second time the WEF Special Annual Meeting will be held outside of Switzerland since its establishment in 1971, and the first time it will be held in Asia.
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
WEF Founder and CEO Klaus Schwab said that a global leadership summit is of “crucial importance in addressing how we can recover together.”
He added that the 2021 Special Annual Meeting would be a place for business, government and civil society leaders to come together for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Public-private cooperation is needed more than ever to rebuild trust and address the failures that emerged in 2020,” he said.
WEF will also hold a virtual event from January 25, 2021 to January 29, 2021 during the usual “Davos week.”
It will feature the participation of heads of state and government, CEOs, civil society leaders, global media and youth leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and North America.
