World Economic Forum defers Davos meeting amid pandemic

Zurich

THE World Economic Forum (WEF) postponed until mid-2022 its annual meeting that had been due to take place in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos in January, the organisers said on Monday (Dec 20).

The event, a meeting point for the world's business and political leaders, has been postponed in light of continued uncertainty over the Omicron outbreak, it said.

The high-powered meeting scheduled for Jan 17-21 will instead be held in "early summer", the organisers said.

"Current pandemic conditions make it extremely difficult to deliver a global in-person meeting," Adrian Monck, a spokesperson for the event, said in an e-mail announcing the cancellation.

"Despite the meeting's stringent health protocols, the transmissibility of Omicron and its impact on travel and mobility have made deferral necessary."

The move suggests new uncertainties for business travel, yet another headache for chief executives, and raises the prospect that more major events could be cancelled or postponed in the weeks ahead.

The cancellation of the event is one of the biggest disruptions caused by the new wave of coronavirus cases, and upends plans for the many world leaders and corporations that had planned to attend.

As recently as Thursday, the WEF had said it was proceeding with the event, which draws thousands of politicians, executives and nonprofit leaders to a ritzy ski town in the Swiss Alps for lectures, panel discussions, dinners and parties.

This is not the first time the WEF has postponed its annual meeting due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It had previously shifted its 2021 meeting to Singapore and repeatedly postponed the event before cancelling it in May.

The body will instead organise online "State of the World" sessions to get global leaders talking.

Forum chief Klaus Schwab promised "continued digital convening of leaders from business, government and civil society".

"We look forward to bringing leaders together in person soon," he added.

The Davos meeting in January 2021, held virtually because of the pandemic, came at the height of wrangles over vaccine distribution between wealthy and worse-off countries and the manufacturers. REUTERS, AFP, NYTIMES