What is the Winter Davos Forum? Here are seven key facts about the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

The 2025 Davos Forum comes at a time when the world is grappling with multiple crises, once again highlighting the critical need for dialogue.‍‍‍‍

Image source:World Economic Forum

Gayle Markovitz

Head of Content at the World Economic Forum

Spencer Feingold

Digital Editor, World Economic Forum

Davos in Switzerland is Europe's highest-altitude town—and it has become synonymous with the annual World Economic Forum meeting.
This article compiles the frequently asked questions—and their corresponding answers—posed to public figures and business leaders during their annual January gathering.
The next Winter Davos Forum, the World Economic Forum's 2025 Annual Meeting, will take place from January 20 to 24.

Davos, Switzerland, is Europe's highest-altitude town. But since the World Economic Forum chose this Alpine village as the venue for its annual meeting, the name "Davos" has become inseparably linked with this flagship event.

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting brings together global leaders from politics, business, and civil society to jointly shape the year’s agenda and explore ways to make the world a better place.

As a global gathering, its significance lies not only in the official agenda but also beyond it. In a context where "factors threatening global stability are multiplying," the importance of dialogue—often taking place in private conversations—underscores the critical mission of bringing together world leaders to discuss these pressing issues.

Founded over 50 years ago, the annual meeting strives to embody the "Davos Spirit"—an attitude of openness and collaboration, which also lies at the heart of the forum's mission. The Davos Manifesto, first published in 1973 and updated in 2020, outlines the stakeholder concept: a framework that sets shared goals for businesses.

Here are seven key insights about the Winter Davos Forum—past and present—that answer some of the most frequently asked questions.

1. What does the Winter Davos agenda include?

For years, the Davos Forum's agenda has focused on the ever-evolving challenges facing the global community. Climate change has consistently remained a key topic, alongside others such as inclusivity, diversity, and how to grow economies in a way that meets everyone's needs.

However, the annual conference agenda is adjusted each year to address the most pressing issues of the moment—ranging from pandemic preparedness and skills retraining to global economic conditions and the energy transition.

Every January, the World Economic Forum releases its Global Risks Report ahead of the annual meeting, identifying and analyzing key global risks—both short-term and long-term—that are likely to emerge, providing a foundation for meaningful discussions.

Today, the annual conference agenda features more than 300 sessions—200 of which will be live-streamed to a global audience—aimed at accelerating efforts to tackle global challenges. Over the coming year, the forum will continue this mission by launching a series of initiatives through its various centers.

Davos is the highest-altitude town in Europe.‍‍‍‍

2. Will the Winter Davos Forum Influence Policy-Making?

The Davos Forum serves as a platform where decision-makers from the public and private sectors come together to discuss today’s most pressing issues. The meetings held here have the potential to foster significant business collaborations and lead to groundbreaking political advancements.

For instance, in 1988, Greece and Turkey reached an agreement in Davos that averted an armed conflict. In the 1990s, Davos witnessed a historic handshake that helped pave the way for the end of South Africa’s apartheid regime. At the same time, Davos also became the platform where the United Nations Global Compact was announced—a landmark initiative calling on businesses to align their operations with human rights principles. More recently, in 2023, the U.S. leveraged Davos as a stage to unveil a new development fund program, while global CEOs attending the event pledged their support for an initiative aimed at boosting the African Continental Free Trade Area.

While the Davos Forum provides a platform for making progress, the forum itself does not influence decision-makers’ choices or statements, nor does it sway the formulation of public policy.

Davos provides a platform for decision-makers from the public and private sectors.‍‍‍‍

Image source:World Economic Forum / Manuel Lo

3. Does the World Economic Forum in Davos always take place in Davos?

Before 2002, Davos had been the annual meeting's regular host venue. However, following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the forum held its annual gathering in New York City as a gesture of solidarity and support for the people of New York, who were directly affected by the tragedy.

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Davos Forum was held in fully digital, online formats in both 2021 and 2022—dubbed the "Davos Agenda." The in-person Davos Forum for 2022 was postponed until May 2022.

In January 2023, the annual conference finally returned to its traditional winter schedule, implementing strict health measures—this event also marked the end of the three-year global pandemic.

Online Davos Agenda.‍‍‍‍

Image source:World Economic Forum

4. Who will attend the Winter Davos Forum?

The Davos Forum is an invitation-only event that brings together heads of state, leaders from the private sector, and many prominent figures from civil society and academia.

The attendees included prominent figures, innovative change-makers from the private sector, and leading experts from various professional fields. It also featured activists, artists, labor leaders, members of Indigenous communities, and outstanding young representatives.

Global audiences can watch the conference live online, follow along on social media, and stay updated in real time—plus get involved in the event itself.

At the 2024 Davos Forum, artist Refik Anadol shares his insights.‍‍‍‍

Image source:World Economic Forum

Although the Davos Forum has long been criticized as a gathering of elites, the stereotypical image of the so-called "Davos people" no longer holds true today, as "social inclusion and environmental concerns" have become the primary focus. In 2024, attendees at the Davos Forum came from 125 countries, representing a diverse range of forum communities:

The CEOs and chairpersons of over 1,000 partner companies in the forum actively participate in various initiatives and communities, such as the International Business Council, the Chairman’s Community, and the Industry Leaders Community.
Political leaders from countries around the world, including G7 and G20 nations, as well as heads of international organizations.
Leaders from prominent social organizations, labor groups, and media outlets, as well as top thinkers and academics.

Member of the Unicorn and Tech Pioneer Community, the Global Outstanding Youth Community, the Global Young Leaders Forum, and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

The Davos Forum remains committed to aligning its actions and objectives with the Global Gender Gap Report, which it has been publishing since 2005, striving to become a platform dedicated to gender equality. In recent years, women have made up one-quarter of attendees—higher than the global representation among political or business leaders.

In 2018, all co-chairs of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting were women—and they also served as keynote speakers at one of the sessions, marking the first time the entire panel was composed entirely of female leaders. This powerful move came at a pivotal moment, just as the #MeToo movement was gaining global momentum, sending a clear and impactful message.

In 2025, the Davos Forum aims to achieve near-gender parity among its session moderators.

The Global Gender Gap Report has become one of the most closely watched annual benchmarking initiatives, and the forum has established an increasing number of working groups across countries, collaborating with governments and businesses to accelerate progress toward gender equality.

5. What is the origin of the Winter Davos Forum?

In 1971, Professor Klaus Schwab foundedThe European Management Symposium, held for the first time in Davos.Discussion.

Participants discussed Schwab’s “stakeholder theory,” which posits that companies should serve all stakeholders—not just shareholders, but also employees, suppliers, and the broader community. Today, the stakeholder approach has become the guiding principle of the forum.

In 1973, the annual meeting adopted the "Davos Declaration," a set of ethical guidelines tailored for business leaders, which was updated in 2020 to outline the mission of companies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution—a concept first introduced by Professor Schwab in his 2016 book.

In 1974, political figures were invited to the Davos Forum for the first time; by 1987,European Management ForumRenamed the World Economic Forum, it aims to provide a platform for public-private collaboration to address today’s pressing challenges.

In 1980, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Klaus Schwab, and former British Prime Minister Edward Heath appeared at Davos.‍‍‍‍

Image source:World Economic Forum

6. How does the Winter Davos Forum prioritize sustainability?

The forum recognized the severity of the climate crisis and made every effort to promote sustainable development during its meeting in Davos.

Since 2017, all carbon emissions associated with the Davos Forum have been calculated and offset through environmental projects—both in Switzerland and abroad. The forum also ensures strict control of energy consumption during the Davos meetings, relying exclusively on renewable energy sources for electricity throughout the event.

Additionally, the forum has implemented measures to reduce waste, such as reusing event materials, avoiding single-use plastic products, and collaborating with local organizations after the meeting to distribute unused equipment and leftover food.

Transportation remains the primary source of carbon emissions at the Davos Forum. Therefore, the forum encourages attendees to travel in the most sustainable way possible and will fully reimburse round-trip train tickets for all participants who choose to fly into Europe and then continue by rail.

The Davos Forum also provides an opportunity to advance climate research and raise awareness about many pressing climate issues. At the 2019 Davos Forum, David Attenborough delivered a speech on the "New Geological Era," while in 2023, U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry called for "the largest economic transformation since the Industrial Revolution."

Sir David Attenborough, naturalist and broadcaster‍‍‍‍

Image source:World Economic Forum

7. Are there any events being held outside the annual conference venue?

Many governments, businesses, and international organizations attending the World Economic Forum annual meeting host complementary events outside the main conference venue—such as dinners, parties, exhibitions, industry conferences, and bilateral talks—all of which are independently funded and organized by the respective host institutions.

The World Economic Forum does not participate in any external events held in Davos during the annual meeting.

The above content solely represents the author's personal views.This article is translated from the World Economic Forum's Agenda blog; the Chinese version is for reference purposes only.Feel free to share this in your WeChat Moments—please leave a comment below if you’d like to republish.

Translated by: Sun Qian | Edited by: Wang Can

The World Economic Forum is an independent and neutral platform dedicated to bringing together diverse perspectives to discuss critical global, regional, and industry-specific issues.

"World Economic Forum"