The World Economic Forum (WEF) has kicked off in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, bringing together leaders from government, business, civil society and academia to engage in discussions to address global issues and set priorities. According to the organisers, nearly 3,000 leaders, including close to 65 heads of state and government, are convening in Davos under the theme A Spirit of Dialogue, to address global challenges. These challenges revolve around cooperation in a more contested world, unlocking new sources of growth, how to better invest in people, deploying innovation at scale, and how to build prosperity within planetary boundaries. Rwanda is represented at by a delegation led by foreign affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister of ICT & Innovation Paula Ingabire, and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) CEO Jean-Guy Afrika Minister Ingabire is expected to participate in a panel discussion titled At the Cusp of Healthcare for All, alongside American billionaire Bill Gates and Peter Sands, Executive Director of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (TGF). The panel will discuss the next steps needed to scale solutions and innovations that have helped global health systems to improve, which would address challenges such as lack of enough clinicians or resources required to cure diseases. According to president and CEO of the World Economic Forum Børge Brende, governments are looking to prioritise the immediate needs of citizens — employment, security and local industry revival — over global agendas. “This shift reflects the reality that their constituencies are demanding more stability and certainty at home,” he writes in the Financial Times in an opinion article that was published on Monday, January 19. “However, trying to create a clear divide between interests at home and abroad obscures a complex reality. Foreign policy objectives, including strengthening international institutions, advancing global health and pursuing climate action, may not deliver swift domestic results but they do generate substantial long-term pay-offs,” he adds. The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum is considered the most influential platform for global dialogue and is seen as the leading marketplace of ideas shaping the world. But the key business happens behind closed doors where private meetings between leaders are held, informal negotiations take place, and delegations have a chance to build relationships.
