ZURICH: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Switzerland on Monday to participate in the 47th World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, aimed at fostering greater social inclusion and human development.
Accompanied by Begum Kulsoom Nawaz and Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, the prime minister was received at the Zurich International Airport by Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Mission to Geneva Tehmina Janjua and senior Swiss officials.
Nawaz is on the special invitation of the WEF’s Executive Chairman Professor Klaus Schwab to pursue his dynamic economic agenda aimed at turning around the national economy. The premier will be presenting Pakistan’s case of economic success and the ideal business and investment opportunities, besides attracting foreign direct investment.
He will be extensively utilising the visit to further Pakistan’s economic and business interests by inviting leading firms to invest in Pakistan. The theme for this year’s meeting is ‘Responsive and Responsible Leadership’, which would focus on four critical leadership challenges for 2017, including revitalising the global economy, reforming capitalism and preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Around 3,000 leaders from the governments, business community and civil society will gather at the 47th World Economic Forum annual meeting from January 17-20 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. The participants include one-third from outside Europe and North America, while one-third representing the society outside of business and government.
The prime minister reportedly has a full agenda at Davos, including a number of bilateral meetings with heads of states and governments, as well as with business leaders.
He will also have a meeting with WEF Chairman Prof Klaus Schwab. Bilateral meetings are expected with the prime ministers of Sweden, Norway and Sri Lanka, besides a meeting with Queen Maxima of The Netherlands. He will meet the new United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Swiss President Ms Doris Leuthard.
The Foreign Office in a statement said the premier would address a large group of about 60 top business leaders on “Investing in Pakistan: The New Reality”.
He would have a roundtable meeting, in which he would share with a select group of business leaders the significant economic changes taking place in Pakistan and the immense investment and trade opportunities opening up in the country. The annual meeting will be opened by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will be accompanied by the largest delegation of Chinese officials since the country first participated in the annual meeting in 1979.
More than half of the programme’s 400 sessions will address strategies for fostering greater social inclusion and human development. The chief executive officers (CEOs) of more than 1,000 companies will participate in the forum. The forum that began in 1971 has consistently argued for an inclusive and sustainable approach to managing the world’s transformation, even as it has become increasingly interconnected and more complex.
The co-chairs taking a principal role in shaping the discussion at the annual meeting are Bank of America Chairman Brian Thomas Moynihan, documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Save the Children International (United Kingdom) CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Royal Philips (Netherlands) CEO and President Frans van Houten and Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO and President Meg Whitman.
Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rahman Khan will also speak at the forum. Minister of State for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar will speak on ‘raising life expectancy and expectations’.
In addition to being the most comprehensive meeting of ministerial delegations in the world, with over 70 countries – including all G20 members – participating, this year’s meeting will include the participation of new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, along with heads of key international organisations.
