THE World Economic Forum (WEF) has long been perceived, by critics, as an exclusive club for the global elite. It is therefore ironic, for some, that the theme of this week's conference is "working together, restoring trust".

With the flagship face-to-face Davos 2022 event postponed to early summer, WEF participants are from Monday to Friday instead participating in a series of so-called "State of the World" sessions bringing together leaders online to focus on shaping solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. The conference is billed as the first global opportunity for leaders from business, government and civil society to come together again and set the agenda for a sustainable recovery in the post-pandemic world to come.

Leaders delivering "State of the World" special addresses include Prime Ministers Narendra Modi, Kishida Fumio, Scott Morrison and Naftali Bennett of India, Japan, Australia and Israel respectively, plus European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and Presidents Xi Jinping, Joko Widodo and Paul Kagame of China, Indonesia and Rwanda respectively. Other speakers include: managing director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, director-general of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, executive director of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol, US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen, governor of the Bank of Japan Haruhiko Kuroda, and president of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde.